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THE   WESTMINSTER  NEW  TESTAMENT 

General  Editor 
ALFRED  E.  GARVIE,  M.A.(Oxon.),  D.D.(Glas.) 

PRINCIPAL   OF   NEW  COLLEGE,    LONDON 

THE  GOSPEL  ACCORDING  TO 

ST.  LUKE 

WITH  INTRODUCTION  AND  NOTES 

BY    THE 

GENERAL   EDITOR 


^       (      MAR   9  1915 


NEW   YORK 

FLEMING   H.   REVELL   COMPANY 

LONDON 

ANDREW   MELROSE 

191  I 


PREFACE 

As  the  General  Editor  is  himself  responsible  for 
the  Introduction  and  Notes  of  this  volume^  the 
Preface  inserted  in  the  other  volumes  is  here 
omitted ;  but  he  offers  instead  a  brief  indication 
of  his  own  aims  in  preparing  it.  He  has  dealt 
with  renderings,  readings,  and  references  to 
parallel  passages,  and  also  the  explanations  of 
names  of  persons  or  places  as  briefly  as  seemed 
consistent  with  the  intention  of  the  series,  in  order 
to  find  room  for  the  fuller  treatment  of  four 
matters,  to  which  he  attaches  special  importance : 
(1)  the  literary  composition  of  the  Gospel,  (2)  the 
personal  characteristics  of  the  Evangelist,  (3)  the 
difficulties  which  the  life  and  teaching  of  Jesus 
may  offer  to  the  modern  reader,  and  (4)  the 
conception  of  the  personality  of  Jesus,  which  the 
Gospels  present.  As  he  could  not  deal  with 
theological  problems  as  fully  as  he  desired,  he 
has  ventured  on  occasional  references  to  his  own 
book.  Studies  in  the  Inner  Life  of  Jesus,  in  which 
all  these  questions  are  fully  treated.  He  grate- 
fully acknowledges  his  indebtedness  to  Dr.  Bruce's 
commentary  on  Luke  in  the  Expositor  s  Greek 
Testament,  vol.  i.,  and  Dr.  Plummer's  in  the 
International  Critical  Commentary  series. 

ALFRED   E.   GARVIE. 

New  College,  Londom, 
I'jik  December  1910. 


THE 

WESTMINSTER  NEW  TESTAMENT 

THE  GOSPEL  ACCORDING  TO  ST.  LUKE 

INTRODUCTION. 

"The  most  beautiful  book  that  has  ever  been 
written/'  is  the  judgment  of  Renan  on  the  Third 
Gospel,  which  he  also  describes  as  "the  most 
literary  of  the  Gospels."  This  opinion  is  con- 
firmed by  Sanday,  who  says  of  the  author:  "St. 
Luke  has  more  literary  ambition  than  his  fellows." 
Ramsay  affirms  of  him  as  an  historical  writer  that 
he  "commands  excellent  means  of  knowledge  .  .  . 
and  brings  to  the  treatment  of  his  subject  genius, 
literary  skill,  and  sympathetic  historical  insight." 
Aiming  at  completeness,  he  not  only  uses  the 
material  found  in  the  other  Synoptic  Gospels, 
but  contributes  to  the  record  of  the  life  of  Jesus 
more  matter  peculiar  to  himself  than  either  of 
the  other  Synoptists.  His  standpoint  is  that  of 
a  companion  and  fellow-worker  of  the  Apostle 
of  the  Gentiles,  who,  if  not  altogether  at  home 
in  the  intricacies   of  the   theology    of   Paul,   yet 


2    Westminster  New  Testament 

breathed  the  finer  air  and  had  the  wider  outlook 
of  his  Gospel  of  God's  unmerited  grace  to  all 
men.  Of  the  three  Synoptic  Gospels,  this  has 
the  closest  kinship  with  the  Apostolic  Gospel, 
and  is  a  proof  on  the  one  hand  that  the  in- 
difference to  the  facts  of  the  earthly  life  of  Jesus, 
which  is  sometimes  ascribed  to  Paul,  was  not 
characteristic  of  the  Pauline  circle ;  and  on  the 
other,  that  for  the  author,  at  least,  there  was 
no  contradiction,  as  is  now  alleged,  between  the 
teaching  of  Jesus  and  the  doctrine  of  Paul. 

I.  THE  AUTHORSHIP. 

1.  Although  in  his  preface  the  author  of  the 
Acts  does  not  give  his  name,  yet  his  reference 
to  a  "  former  treatise "  cannot  be  to  any  other 
writing  than  to  the  Third  Gospel.  Both  are 
dedicated  to  the  same  person,  Theophilus 
(Acts  i.  1),  "most  excellent  Theophilus" 
(Luke  i.  3).  The  likenesses  of  the  two  books  in 
style,  thought,  and  spirit  are  so  many  and  so 
close  that  there  can  be  no  doubt  about  their  being 
from  the  same  hand.  Not  only  are  many  words 
and  phrases,  not  found  elsewhere  in  the  New 
Testament,  common  to  the  two  writings ;  but 
there  are  also  similarities  of  description  and 
arrangement  (see  Plummer's  St.  Luke,  p.  xii). 
The  identity  of  the  author  of  Acts  and  of  the 
Third  Gospel  may  be  regarded  as  a  fact  beyond 
doubt  or  question. 

2.  For  the  next  link  in  our  chain  of  argument 
we  must  go  to  Acts.  In  this  book  are  to  be 
found  a  number  of  passages  in  which  the  first 
personal  pronoun  "we"    is   used   instead    of  the 


St.  Luke  3 

third  personal  pronoun  "they."  The  first  instance 
of  this  change  is  found  in  chapter  xvi.  vers.  8,  9^  10  : 
"And  passing  by  Mysia^  they  came  down  to 
Troas.  And  a  vision  appeared  to  Paul  in  the 
night ;  There  was  a  man  of  Macedonia  standing, 
beseeching  him,  and  saying,  Come  over  into 
Macedonia,  and  help  us.  And  when  he  had  seen 
the  vision,  straightway  we  sought  to  go  forth 
into  Macedonia,  concluding  that  God  had  called 
us  for  to  preach  the  Gospel  unto  them."  The 
inference  is  obvious ;  at  this  point  the  writer  of 
the  narrative  became  a  companion  of  Paul,  and 
began  to  give  the  history  as  an  eye-witness.  The 
same  feature  in  the  narrative  meets  us  in  the 
record  of  the  voyage  to,  and  work  in,  Philippi 
(xvi.  11-17),  of  Paul's  return  to  Troas  (xx.  5-15), 
of  his  journey  from  Miletus  to  Jerusalem  (xxi.  1-18), 
and  of  his  voyage  from  Csesarea  to  Rome  (xxvii.  1- 
xxviii.  l6).  All  these  passages  in  the  fullness 
and  vividness  of  the  narrative  bear  the  marks  of 
the  eye-witness.  But  can  we  claim  that  this  eye- 
witness is  also  author  of  the  rest  of  the  book  ? 
This  most  natural  conclusion  has,  however,  been 
challenged.  It  has  been  argued  that  the  author 
of  the  whole  work  got  possession  of  fragments 
of  a  travel-record  of  one  of  Paul's  companions, 
and  fitted  these  into  the  framework  of  his  own 
narrative.  Unless  he  wanted  to  give  the  im- 
pression that  he  himself  w^as  this  eye-witness, 
the  retention  of  the  first  personal  pronoun  in 
these  few  places  seems  a  very  unreasonable  pro- 
ceeding. If  the  author,  though  not  an  eye-witness, 
had  wished  to  be  taken  for  one,  he  would  not 
have  been  content  with  putting  forward  that 
claim  only  in  these  few  places;    but   the   "we" 


4    Westminster  New  Testament 

would  have  been  of  much  more  frequent  occurrence. 
One  of  the  greatest  of  German  scholars.  Dr. 
Harnack,  has  made  an  exhaustive  examination  of 
this  question  in  his  Luke  the  Physician,  the  Author  of 
the  Third  Gospel  and  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles. 
His  argument  is  twofold,  {a)  By  a  thorough 
examination  of  the  literary  sources  used  by  the 
author  in  the  Third  Gospel  and  the  Acts,  it  is 
shown  how  he  was  in  the  habit  of  handling  his 
sources  in  adapting  them  for  his  purpose.  If 
the  "we"  sections  were  such  a  literary  source, 
no  reasonable  explanation  can  be  offered  why 
this  source  alone  was  not  dealt  with  as  all  the 
others  have  been.  (6)  By  a  careful  comparison  of 
these  sections  with  the  rest  of  the  book  as  regards 
vocabulary,  style,  and  contents,  it  is  shown  that 
there  is  no  evidence  against,  and  all  the  evidence 
is  for,  the  identity  of  the  authorship.  Not  only 
may  we  regard  it  as  certain  that  the  Third 
Gospel  and  Acts  are  by  one  author,  but  also  that 
he  was  the  companion  of  Paul,  who  as  an  eye- 
witness wrote  this  travel-record. 

3.  That  this  companion  was  Luke  is  not  only 
the  most  probable  conclusion  from  the  internal 
evidence,  but  is  also  the  unanimous  testimony  of 
the  first  eight  centuries.  Luke  was  the  Apostle's 
companion  during  the  Roman  imprisonment. 
Col.  iv.  14:  "Luke,  the  beloved  physician,  and 
Demas,  greet  you."  Philem.  23,  24 :  "  Epaph- 
ras,  my  fellow-prisoner  in  Christ  Jesus,  saluteth 
thee ;  and  so  do  Mark,  Aristarchus,  Demas,  Luke, 
my  fellow-workers."  2  Tim.  iv.  11  :  "Only  Luke 
is  with  me."  When  Philippians  was  written,  he 
was  probably  with  Paul  also,  as  no  names  are 
mentioned    in    the    salutation :     "  The    brethren 


St.  Luke  5 

which  are  with  me  salute  you"  (iv.  21).  None 
of  the  earher  epistles  fall  in  the  same  period  of 
time  as  the  ^^we"  sections^  and  so  their  silence 
regarding  Luke  is  explicable.  While  not  sharing 
Paul's  imprisonment  in  Rome,  he  there  laboured 
with  Paul  in  the  cause  of  the  Gospel,  and  also 
probably  exercised  his  professional  skill  on  Paul's 
behalf.  It  is  a  legitimate  inference  from  the 
passage  in  Colossians  that  Luke  was  a  Gentile 
Christian,  for  he,  along  with  Epaphras  and  Demas, 
is  expressly  distinguished  from  those  "who  are 
of  the  circumcision  "  (iv.  11).  That  both  the  Third 
Gospel  and  the  Acts  are  written  for  Gentiles  by 
a  Gentile  in  the  interests  of  Gentile  Christianity 
is  writ  so  large  in  their  pages  as  not  to  require 
any  detailed  proof.  That  the  author  of  jjoth 
these  books  was  a  physician  is  in  the  highest 
degree  probable,  not  to  say  certain.  While  there 
has  sometimes  been  some  exaggeration  in  the 
statement  of  the  argument  from  the  medical 
language  used,  yet  its  general  validity  is  beyond 
doubt.  We  shall  return  to  these  two  characteristics 
at  a  later  stage  of  the  discussion  (see  p.  28). 
If  the  author  of  the  Third  Gospel  and  of  Acts 
was  a  physician,  can  he  have  been  any  one  else 
than  Luke  ?  For  is  it  at  all  likely  that  Paul  had 
another  physician  as  a  companion,  of  whom  he 
makes  no  mention  whatever  ? 

4.  This  conclusion  from  the  internal  evidence 
is  confirmed  by  the  external  testimony.  No  other 
author  is  even  suggested  until  toward  the  end 
of  the  ninth  century,  when  Photius  mentions 
Clement  of  Rome  and  Barnabas  as  possible  authors, 
only  to  set  them  aside  in  favour  of  Luke. 
Probably  he  in  this  passage  is  in  error,  transferring 


6    Westminster  New  Testament 

to   Acts    conjectures   that  had  been   made   about 
the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews. 

The  MSS.  of  the  Old  Latin  version,  based  on  a 
Greek  MS.  of  the  second  or  third  century,  ascribe 
the  Gospel  to  Luke ;  so  does  the  Muratorian  frag- 
ment of  the  latter  half  of  the  second  century. 
Irenaeus  informs  us  that  many  things  'are  to  be 
learned  from  Luke  only,  and  that  Marcion  and 
Valentinus  made  use  of  the  information  he  gives. 
We  have  also  the  testimony  of  Tertullian  and 
Clement  of  Alexandria.  Plummer  (St.  Luke,  p.  xvi) 
does  not  overstate  the  case  in  saying :  ''  It  is  mani- 
fest that  in  all  parts  of  the  Christian  world  the 
Third  Gospel  was  universally  believed  to  be  the 
work  of  St.  Luke.  No  one  speaks  doubtfully  on  the 
point."  It  is  uncertain  whether  any  direct  quotation 
from  the  Third  Gospel  can  be  traced  in  Clement 
of  Rome,  Polycarp,  or  Ignatius ;  but  the  refer- 
ences in  Justin  Martyr's  writings  and  in  Tatian's 
Diatessaron,  a  harmony  of  the  Four  Gospels, 
are  "abundant  and  unquestionable." 

H.  THE  AUTHOR. 

Having  thus  proved  the  authorship  by  Luke,  we 
may  now  gather  together  what  we  know  of  him.  The 
name  does  not  occur  earlier  than  the  New  Testament: 
it  is  a  contraction  of  Lticamis.  There  is  no  likelihood 
that  it  is  a  variant  of  Lucius,  a  name  mentioned  in 
Acts  xiii.  1  and  Rom.  xvi.  21.  The  description  of 
Luke  as  "  the  beloved  physician"  in  Col.  iv.  14  shows 
not  only  his  intimate  relation  to,  but  also  the  func- 
tion he  discharged  for  Paul.  He  is  in  this  passage 
expressly  distinguished  from  "those  who  are  of 
the    circumcision"    (ver.    11),   and   so   cannot   be 


St.  Luke  7 

identified  with  the  Lucius  of  Rom.  xvi.  21,  who 
is  described  by  Paul  as  a  kinsman.  Nor  is  there 
any  ground  for  identifying  him  with  Lucius  of 
Cyrene  (Acts  xiii.  1).  He  shared  in  the  work  of 
the  Christian  Church,  as  Paul  includes  him  among 
his  "  fellow  -  workers  "  (Philem.  24).  When, 
towards  the  close  of  his  imprisonment  in  Rome, 
Paul  was  left  by  many  of  his  companions,  only 
Luke  remained  with  him  (2  Tim.  iv.  11).  The 
"  we  "  sections  already  referred  to  indicate  at  what 
times  in  Paul's  travels  Luke  was  his  companion. 
He  himself  indicates  that  he  was  not  one  of  those 
"  which  from  the  beginning  were  eye-witnesses 
and  ministers  of  the  word  "  (Luke  i.  2),  but  a 
Western  reading  of  Acts  xi.  28  would  require  the 
conversion  to  have  taken  place  before  the  meeting 
with  Paul  at  Troas.  Jerome  quotes  a  tradition 
that  he  was  a  proselyte  ignorant  of  Hebrew. 
Origen  identifies  Luke  with  "  the  brother  whose 
praise  in  the  Gospel  is  spread  through  all  the 
churches"  (2  Cor.  viii.  18),  and  the  postscript  to 
the  Epistle  runs:  "The  Second  Epistle  to  the 
Corinthians  was  written  from  Philippi,  a  city  of 
Macedonia,  by  Titus  and  Lucas."  But  this  is  only 
conjecture.  Epiphanius  reckons  him — contrary  to 
the  evidence — "  one  of  the  Seventy."  Theophylact 
suggests  that  he  was  the  unnamed  companion  of 
Cleopas  (Luke  xxiv.  13,  18)  on  the  journey  to 
Emmaus.  The  tradition  that  he  was  a  painter  is 
late  ;  but  not  so  late  as  it  was  once  held  to  be.  It 
goes  back  to  Theodore  the  Reader  in  the  sixth 
century,  and  is  due  to  a  misunderstanding  of  a 
word  used  by  him.  A  preface  to  Luke's  Gospel, 
given  in  Wordsworth's  edition  of  the  Vulgate,  and 
ascribed  by  Harnack  to  the  third  century  at  latest, 


8    Westminster  New  Testament 

contains  this  interesting  statement :  "  Luke,  by 
nation  a  Syrian  of  Antioch,  a  disciple  of  the 
Apostles,  and  afterwards  a  follower  of  St.  Paul, 
served  his  master  blamelessly  till  his  confession. 
For,  having  neither  wife  nor  children,  he  died  in 
Bithynia  at  the  age  of  seventy-four,  filled  with 
the  Holy  Ghost."  A  statement  in  Eusebius 
{Ecclesiastical  History,  iii,  4)  has  generally  been 
understood  to  connect  Luke  with  Antioch  in  Syria, 
but  Ramsay  renders  the  words  "  belonged  to  a 
family  that  had  a  connexion  with  Antioch,"  insists 
against  Harnack  that  the  frequent  references  to 
this  city  in  the  Acts  are  not  due  to  any  special 
personal  interest  in  it,  but  to  its  importance  for 
the  history  of  the  early  Christian  Church  ;  and 
regards  Luke  as  a  Macedonian,  suggesting  that  he 
was  "the  man  of  Macedonia,"  who  appeared  to 
Paul  in  a  vision  at  Troas  (Acts  xvi.  9).  The 
Apostolic  Constitutions  connect  Luke  with  Alexandria 
in  stating  that  he  consecrated  the  second  bishop 
there.  Tradition  reports  that  he  died  either  in 
Achaia  or  Bithynia,  either  a  peaceful  death,  or 
as  a  martyr  in  the  time  of  Domitian.  His  bones 
are  said  to  have  been  carried  to  Constantinople 
in  the  twentieth  year  of  the  reign  of  Constantine. 

in.  THE  DATE  AND  THE  PLACE. 

1.  The  date  assigned  for  the  composition  of 
the  Gospel  varies  from  56-60  a.d.,  suggested  by 
Blass,  to  after  ISO  a.d.,  maintained  by  Baur  and 
Zeller.  If  the  author  was  dependent  on  Marcion 
that  very  late  date  must  be  assigned ;  but  it  is 
now  generally  agreed  that  Marcion  himself  used 
the  Gospel  according  to  Luke,  abridging  it  for  his 


St.  Luke  9 

own  purpose,  but  not  falsifying  the  text  as  his 
orthodox  opponents  charged  him  with  doing,  for 
he  probably  had  before  him  a  different  text.  Again, 
if  Luke  was  dependent  on  Josephus,  an  earlier  date 
than  100  a.d.  cannot  be  assigned ;  but  it  is  now 
held  by  many  scholars  that  the  ^^differences  are 
only  conceivable  on  the  supposition  of  independ- 
ence." Clement  of  Alexandria  reports  a  tradition 
that  the  Gospels  "containing  the  genealogies" 
were  first  written.  The  reference  in  Acts  i.  1  to 
"  the  former  treatise  "  evidently  places  the  Gospel 
before  the  Acts ;  and  a  careful  comparison  of  the 
two  books  has  led  Sir  John  Hawkins  to  the  con- 
clusion that  "a  considerable  time  must  have 
elapsed  between  the  writing  of  the  two  books." 
What  are  the  data  ?  (a)  From  the  way  in  which 
the  reign  of  Tiberius  Caesar  is  computed  in  Luke 
iii.  1,  Sir  William  Ramsay  infers  that  the  Gospel 
must  have  been  written  in  a.d.  79-81,  the  reign  of 
Titus,  who  was  associated  in  the  sovereignty  with 
his  father  as  Tiberius  had  been  with  Augustus. 
(6)  The  allusion  in  Luke  i.  1  to  many  previous 
attempts  to  write  the  life  of  Christ  seems  to 
exclude  the  earliest  date  suggested.  "The  pro- 
cess implied  in  the  preface,"  says  Sanday,  "  implies 
a  longer  period  than  would  fall  within  the  year 
A.D.  63  ;  it  is  probable  that  the  common  basis  of 
our  three  Synoptic  Gospels  was  not  committed  to 
writing  so  early."  (c)  The  references  to  the  fall 
of  Jerusalem,  in  xix.  4>3,  44,  xxi.  20,  and  xxi.  24,  are 
held  to  be  so  definite,  that  it  is  argued  they  must 
have  been  written  after  the  event,  in  a.d.  70,  but 
an  examination  of  the  passages  themselves  shows 
that  the  argument  is  precarious.  The  reference 
in  the  first  passage  to  a  siege  of  the  city  does  not 


lo  Westminster  New  Testament 

go  beyond  the  possibilities  of  intelligent  anticipa- 
tion of  what  might  happen.  The  substitution  in 
the  second  passage  of  the  general  description  of 
the  city  as  "compassed  by  armies"  for  the 
reference  in  the  parallel  passages  in  Matthew 
(xxiv.  15)  and  Mark  (xiii.  14)  to  the  "  abomination 
of  desolation "  (cf.  Dan.  ix.  27)  is  adequately  ex- 
plained by  the  fact  that  the  Gospel  was  written 
for  Gentiles,  who  would  not  have  understood  the 
allusion.  The  writer's  use  of  the  word  desolation 
suggests  that  he  had  the  reference  to  "the 
abomination  of  desolation  "  before  him  as  he  wrote. 
The  last  passage,  like  the  first,  is  entirely  within 
the  bounds  of  prophetic  prediction.  (c?)  The 
theological  language  of  the  Gospel  such  as  the 
use  of  the  title  Lord  for  Jesus,  and  its  whole 
religious  atmosphere  suggest  a  later  date  than 
Matthew  and  Mark,  and  so  do  the  points  of  con- 
tact with  the  Fourth  Gospel.  Harnack  places  the 
Gospel  between  78  and  93  a.d.,  and  probably  it 
should  be  dated  nearer  the  earliest  than  the 
latest  year. 

2.  As  regards  the  place  from  which  the  Gospel 
was  written  we  have  no  data  on  which  to  base  a 
definite  conclusion ;  Jerome  states  that  it  was 
written  in  the  regions  of  Achaia  and  Baeothia  (a 
variant  reading  has  Bithynia).  Ehed  Jesu  connects 
it  with  Alexandria,  Godet  conjectures  Corinth, 
Keim  and  Holzmann  Rome.  Caesarea  and  Asia 
Minor  have  also  been  suggested. 

IV.  THE  SOURCES  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

1.  The  first  three  Gospels  are  generally  spoken 
of  as  the  Synoptic,  because  a  comparison  shows 


St.  Luke 


II 


that  much  of  their  material  is  common,  although 
each  Gospel  also  shows  its  own  peculiar  contribu- 
tion. Various  calculations  have  been  made  to 
exhibit  as  accurately  as  possible  both  the  re- 
semblances and  the  peculiarities.  "  If  the  contents 
of  the  Synoptics  are  divided  into  172  sections,  of 
these  Luke  has  127,  Matthew  114,  and  Mark  84." 
Peculiar  to  Luke  are  48,  to  Matthew  22,  and  to 
Mark  5  sections.  An  examination  of  the  Gospels, 
according  to  the  verses  in  the  R.V.,  shows  that 
Luke  has  1149,  Matthew  1068,  and  Mark  674, 
while  peculiar  to  Luke  are  6 12,  Matthew  337,  and 
Mark  50  verses.  More  than  half  the  Gospel 
according  to  Luke  is  peculiar,  and  not  common 
matter.  The  passages  found  in  Luke  alone  are 
the  following : — 


1. 

-n. 

iii. 

1,2          .       .       . 

jj 

lo- 

14  .     .     . 

>» 

ss 

-38.     .     . 

iv. 

i6- 

-30 

V. 

i-ii 

vi. 

24- 

-26 

vii. 

II- 

■17 

j» 

36- 

-50 

viii. 

1-3. 

ix. 

51- 

-56 

j> 

6i 

62 

X. 

I 

j> 

17- 

-20 

j> 

28- 

-42 

xi. 

5-8. 

The  Story  of  the  Infancy. 
The  contemporary  rulers. 
The  replies  of  John  the  Baptist  to  the 

multitude,    the    publicans,   and    the 

soldiers. 
The  genealogy  of  Jesus. 
The  visit  to  Nazareth. 
The  miraculous  draught  of  fishes. 
The  woes  on  the  rich,  the  full,  etc. 
The  visit  to  Nain, 
The  anointing   of  Jesus  by  the  sinful 

woman. 
The  ministering  women. 
The  inhospitable  Samaritan  village. 
The  saying  about  the  hand  to  the  plough. 
The  sending  forth  of  the  Seventy. 
The  return  of  the  Seventy. 
The  Good  Samaritan,  Martha  and  Mary. 
The  friend  at  midnight. 


12   Westminster  New  Testament 


xi.  27,  28  . 

The  woman's  blessing  on  the  mother 
of  Jesus. 

xii.  13-21    . 

, 

The  rich  fool. 

,,   47-50  • 

• 

The  many  and  few  stripes,  the  fire  and 
the  baptism. 

xiii.  I-17     . 

• 

The  blood  of  the  Galilseans,  the  barren 
fig  tree,  the  woman  with  the  spirit  of 
infirmity. 

n    31-33    . 

The  saying  about  Herod. 

xiv.  1-14     . 

The  cure  of  the  man  with  dropsy  j  table 
talk. 

„     15-24   . 

The  great  supper. 

„    28-33    . 

Sayings  about  foresight. 

XV.  8-32      . 

The  ten  pieces  of  silver,  the  prodigal  son. 

xvi.  1-12     . 

The  unjust  steward. 

„    H,  15  • 

The  Pharisees  rebuked  for  covetousness. 

„    19-31    • 

The  rich  man  and  Lazarus. 

xvii.  7-19      . 

The  unprofitable  servants,  the  ten  lepers. 

,,    28,  29,32 

The  days  of  Lot. 

xviii.  1-14     . 

The  importunate  widow,  the  Pharisee 
and  Publican. 

xix.  i-io 

. 

The  visit  to  Zacchseus. 

„    11-27    (exc 

:ept 

The  pounds 

26). 

„    39-44   . 

The  stones  crying  out,  the  lament  over 
Jerusalem. 

xxii.  15,  27-32  ( 

ex- 

Jesus'  desire  for  the  Passover,  the  servants 

cept  28, 

30). 

and  the  kingdom, the  warning  to  Peter. 

»    35-38   . 

The  purse,  the  wallet,  and  the  sword. 

xxiii.  7-12     . 

Jesus  sent  to  Herod. 

.,    27-31    . 

The  daughters  of  Jerusalem. 

M     39-43   • 

The  penitent  thief. 

1  Possibly   16- 

24  = 

:Matt.    xxii.   2-1 1    from   Q.     See   Com- 

mentary. 

2  Possibly   12- 

27  = 

:Matt.  XXV.   14-30   from  Q.     See  Com- 

mentary. 

St.  Luke  13 

xxiii.  46    ...     .     The  prayer  of  trust  on  the  Cross. 

xxiv.  13-53   .     .     .     The  journey  to  Emmaus,  Jesus  in  the 

midst,  the  last  sayings,  the  ascension 

into  heaven. 

The  characteristics  of  the  Gospel  can  be  easily 
discovered  from  a  study  of  these  passages.  Besides 
these  passages,  which  can  be  detached  from  the 
contexts  common  to  Luke  and  another  evangelist, 
there  are  113  single  verses  peculiar  to  him  embedded 
in  common  narratives. 

These  have  been  classified  by  Sir  John  Hawkins 
as  follows:  (a)  Sometimes  Luke  alone  gives  the 
occasion  of  a  saying,  as  of  the  Lord's  Prayer  (xi.  1), 
or  the  warnings  about  exclusion  from  the  Kingdom 
(xiii.  22,  23).  (6)  Sometimes  he  gives  a  saying 
more  fully  than  Matthew,  who  shortens,  as  the 
appeal  of  the  centurion  (cf.  Luke  vii.  3-6  with 
Matt.  viii.  5,  6).  (c)  Sometimes  he  inserts  a 
later  tradition,  as  the  angel  and  the  drops  of 
blood  in  Gethsemane  (xxii.  43,  44.  See  marg. 
R.V.).  (rf)  Sometimes  he  commands  independent 
tradition  (cf.  the  saying  about  the  Lord's  sudden 
return  in  Luke  xii.  35-38,  and  the  Parable  of 
the  Wise  Virgins  in  Matt.  xxv.  1-13).  (e)  Some- 
times he  makes  additions  as  editor,  as  in  vi.  12, 
"and  He  continued  all  night  in  prayer  to  God  "  ;  or 
vi.  33f  3^,  where  the  saying  about  returning  good 
for  evil  is  expounded.  Q')  Sometimes  he  gives 
us  a  Pauline  expression,  as  in  xxi.  34-36  (cf. 
Rom.  xiii.  13;  Gal.  v.  21;  1  Thess.  v.  6).  As 
editor  he  not  only  changes  expressions  in  his 
sources  to  make  them  intelligible  to  his  readers, 
but  he  alters  the  order  for  his  special  purpose. 
The  doublets  in  his  Gospel  are  to  be  explained 
by  his  use  of  different  sources.     His  freedom  as 


14 


Westminster  New  Testament 


editor  in  handling  his  sources  must  be  fully 
recognised. 

A  study  of  what  is  peculiar  to  Luke's  Gospel 
leads  us  to  the  conclusion :  (a)  that  Luke  had  a 
special  source  both  for  narratives  and  teachings, 
not  found  at  all  in  Matthew  or  Mark  ;  and  (b)  that 
he  worked  over  his  sources,  often  retaining  the 
substance  rather  than  the  very  language  of  the 
original  document  or  tradition.  Can  we  determine 
further  what  these  sources  were  ? 

2.  If  we  compare  Luke  with  Mark  it  becomes 
at  once  evident :  (a)  that  Luke  has  incorporated 
the  greater  part  of  Mark's  Gospel,  as  the  following 
list  of  the  passages  depending  on  Mark  shows  : — 


The  ministry  of  John  the  Baptist. 

The  imprisonment  of  John. 

The  baptism  of  Jesus. 

The  ministry  of  Jesus  in  Galilee. 

A  Sabbath  in  Capernaum. 

Jesus'  sense  of  His  calling. 

The  cleansing  of  the  leper. 

The  palsied  man  forgiven  and  cured. 

The  call  of  Levi,  and  the  question  about 

fasting. 
The  charge  of  breaking  the  Sabbath. 
The  choice  of  the  Twelve. 
The  Parable  of  the  Sower. 
The  lamp  on  the  stand. 
Natural  and  spiritual  kinship. 
The  storm  on  the  lake. 
The  Gadarene  demoniac  restored. 
The  daughter  of  Jairus,  and  the  woman 

in  the  throng. 
The  mission  of  the  Twelve. 
Herod's  bewilderment. 


iii. 

3-6,  i6,  17 

>j 

18-20  .     . 

j> 

21,  22  .     . 

iv. 

14,  15  .     • 

}j 

31-41  .     . 

5> 

42-44  .     . 

v. 

12-16  .     . 

5J 

17-26  .     . 

JJ 

27-39  •     . 

vi. 

i-ii     .     . 

3J 

13-19   .     . 

viii. 

4-15     .     . 

j> 

16-18  .     . 

>5 

19-21   .     . 

J5 

22-25  .     . 

5> 

26-39  .     . 

}) 

41-56  .     . 

ix. 

1-6.     .     . 

5J 

7-9.     .     . 

St.  Luke 


15 


ix.  10-17 
„    18-27 
„   28-36 
„  37-43^ 
„  43-^-45 
„   46-48 

„  49-50 

tviii.  15-17 

„      18-30 

n      31-34 

»     35-43 
xix.  29-38 

,,    45-48 


>,  9-19 
,,  20-26 
„  27-40 
„  41-44 
5,  45-47 
xxi.  1-4. 

,>    5-33 
„    37-38 

xxii.  1-6 . 


The  feeding  of  the  five  thousand.^ 

The  confession  of  Jesus  as  Messiah. 

The  Transfiguration. 

The  epileptic  boy  cured. 

The  second  prediction  of  the  Passion. 

The  child  as  the  test  of  discipleship. 

Intolerance  rebuked. ^ 

The  welcome  of  the  children. 

The  rich  young  ruler. 

The  third  announcement  of  the  Passion. 

The  blind  man  at  Jericho. 

The  triumphal  entry  into  Jerusalem. 

The  cleansing  of,  and  teaching  in,   the 

Temple. 
The  challenge  of  Jesus'  authority. 
The  husbandmen. 

The  question  about  tribute  to  Caesar. 
The  question  about  the  Resurrection. 
The  questionabout  David's  Son  and  Lord. 
The  warning  against  the  scribes. 
The  widow's  two  mites. 
The  discourse  about  the  last  things. 
Teaching  in  the  Temple,  and  lodging  at 

Bethany. 
Judas'  bargain  with  the  chief  priests. 


^  At  this  point  Luke  omits  the  section  in  Mark  vi.  45-viii. 
26,  including  the  walking  on  the  water,  the  controversy  about 
defilement,  the  interview  with  the  Syro-Phosnician  woman, 
the  cure  of  the  deaf  and  dumb  man,  the  feeding  of  the  four 
thousand,  the  demand  for  a  sign,  the  leaven  of  the  Pharisees 
(taken  up  in  another  connexion),  and  the  cure  of  the  blind  man. 

2  At  this  point  (ix.  51)  Luke  abandons  the  order  of  Mark's 
Gospel,  and  inserts  the  matter  derived  from  his  third  source 
(if  one),  but  takes  up  here  and  there  material  from  Mark  and 
Q  ;  but  the  details  regarding  this  will  be  found  in  the  Com- 
mentary.    He  resumes  his  dependence  on  Mark  at  xviii.  15. 


[6   Westminster  New  Testament 


7-13  .   .   • 

The  preparation  for  the  Passover. 

14-23'    •  . 

The  Last  Supper. 

24-30,  33>  34. 

The  contention   about   greatness,    and 

Peter's  boast. 

39-46  .     .     . 

The  agony  in  the  Garden. 

47-53  •     .     • 

The  arrest. 

54-62  .     .     . 

Peter's  denial. 

63-65  .     .     . 

The  mocking  of  Jesus. 

66-71  .     .     . 

The  Jewish  trial. 

1-6.     .     .     . 

The  trial  before  Pilate. 

13-26  .     .     . 

The  sentence. 

32-38,  44,  45, 

The  crucifixion. 

47-49. 

50-56   .     .     . 

The  burial. 

1-12     .     .     . 

The  empty  grave. 

(6)  The  two  Evangelists  were  in  Rome  together 
(Col.iv.  10-14  ;  Philem.  24).  While  Harnack's  state- 
ment that  Luke  held  a  very  unfavourable  judgment 
of  Mark  goes  beyond  the  evidence,  it  is  clear  that 
Luke  was  not  satisfied  with  Mark,  and  felt  that  he 
could  improve  upon  his  record,  correcting  and  sup- 
plementing it.  An  old  tradition  connects  Mark's 
Gospel  with  the  Apostle  Peter,  as  notes  of  his 
preaching,  his  personal  reminiscences  of  Jesus; 
but  Harnack  denies  this,  and  holds  that  Mark  "  put 
together  what  he  could  get  hold  of  (traditions  in 
Jerusalem),  and  what  served  his  purpose  to  prove 
Jesus  the  Christ  from  His  mighty  deeds  and  words  " 
(p.  1 14).  But  scholars  generally  take  a  much  more 
favourable  view  of  the  historical  value  of  Luke's 
first  source. 

(c)  Was  the  Second  Gospel  which  Luke  used 
the  same  as  ours  ?     There  are  some  facts  that  have 

^  From  xxii.  14  to  the  end,  Luke,  while  generally  following 
Mark,  introduces  material  peculiar  to  himself. 


St.  Luke  17 

led  a  few  scholars  to  assume  an  older  form  of  the 
Gospel,  an  Ur-Marcus.  There  are  a  few  incidents 
and  sayings  in  Mark  as  we  now  have  it  which  are 
not  in  Luke,  but  which  Matthew  records.  Now 
and  then  we  find  Matthew  and  Luke  agreeing  on 
some  point  against  the  present  Mark ;  yet  other 
explanations  than  the  assumption  of  an  older  form 
of  Mark  are  generally  preferred,  and  we  may 
assume  that  Luke  used  Mark  in  the  same  form 
as  we  now  have  it. 

3.  When  we  have  deducted  from  Matthew  and 
Luke  all  that  they  have  both  together,  or  either 
separately  borrowed  from  Mark,  there  still  remains 
a  great  deal  (mostly  teaching  of  Jesus)  that  is 
common  to  them,  {a)  The  only  explanation  is  that 
either  both  had  before  them  another  Hterary  source, 
or  had  access  to  the  same  oral  tradition.  The  re- 
semblances are,  however,  so  close,  that  the  same 
oral  tradition  seems  insufficient  to  account  for  them. 
And  the  differences  can  be  mostly  explained  by 
editorial  activity  on  the  same  document.  The 
attempt  to  account  for  all  the  differences  as  variant 
translations  into  Greek  from  a  Hebrew  or  Aramaic 
original  is  too  forced,  and  does  not  cover  all  the 
ground.  A  Greek  document  was  the  common 
source  of  the  two  Evangelists,  but  it  is  quite 
possible  that  there  were  considerable  variations  in 
the  text  before  them.  Such  a  document  in  its 
variant  texts  would  consist  of  "  collections  of  our 
Lord's  sayings  in  several  forms  and  in  different 
connexions."  Variations  which  we  are  now  in- 
clined to  ascribe  to  the  editorial  activity  of  either 
of  the  Evangelists  may  have  been  already  in  the 
texts  they  used. 

(6)  We  cannot  give  a  simple  answer  to  the 
2 


i8  Westminster  New  Testament 

further  question,  Which  of  the  two  EvangeHsts 
reproduces  this  common  source  more  closely  ? 
Each  instance  must  be  carefully  examined  on  its 
own  merits ;  and  the  characteristics  of  each  of 
the  editors  must  be  considered,  whether  the  one 
or  the  other  would  be  more  likely  to  alter  the 
original  from  his  own  particular  standpoint  or  for 
his  own  special  purpose.  Matthew  collects  the 
sayings  of  Jesus  in  discourses  dealing  with  the 
same  subject,  disregarding  the  original  context. 
Luke  gives  the  sayings  more  detached ;  but  it  is 
not  certain  that  the  context  he  assigns  is  always 
the  original  one.  In  the  course  of  the  Commentary 
it  will  be  necessary  to  consider  this  question  again 
and  again,  and  it  is  not  necessary  to  discuss  many 
particular  instances  just  now.  One  may  be 
mentioned.  The  Beatitudes  in  Matt.  v.  3-12  may 
be  compared  with  the  blessings  and  woes  in  Luke 
vi.  20-26.  Here  it  seems  probable  that  Luke  more 
nearly  reproduces  the  original  (see  Commentary 
for  the  explanation). 

(c)  What  was  this  second  source  so  variously 
reproduced  in  the  First  and  Third  Gospels  ?  Papias 
records  a  tradition  that  Matthew  the  disciple  made 
a  collection  of  the  logia  of  Jesus.  This  need  not 
have  been  confined  strictly  to  sayings,  but  may 
have  included  some  explanatory  narrative.  It  may 
have  embraced  more  than  the  material  common  to 
the  two  Evangelists,  as  both  may  have  omitted 
what  did  not  serve  their  purpose,  and  each  may 
have  borrowed  some  things  that  the  other  did  not ; 
or,  in  other  words,  matter  peculiar  to  each  may 
have  been  drawn  from  the  common  source.  As  the 
author  of  the  First  Gospel  made  so  large  a  use  of 
this  collection  of  logia,  the  apostolic  name  attached 


St.  Luke  19 

to  it  was  transferred  to  his  writing.  Mr.  Burkitt's 
suggestion  that  the  logia  consisted  altogether  of 
prophetic  proof-texts,  such  as  are  used  most  freely 
in  the  First  Gospel,  has  not  found  general  accept- 
ance. In  his  book,  Sayings  and  Speeches  of  Jesus, 
the  Second  Source  of  Matthejv  and  Luke,  Harnack 
has  tried  to  reconstruct  this  document.  It  consists 
of  "sixty  sections,  seven  of  which  are  narratives, 
eleven  parables  or  figurative  sayings,  thirteen  are 
groups  of  sayings  or  speeches,  and  twenty-nine  are 
shorter  or  longer  sayings"  (p.  115). 

The  passages  in  Luke's  Gospel  which,  according 
to  Hamack's  reconstruction,  are  derived  from  the 
second  source  are  the  following  : — 

iii.  7-9 The     Baptist's     warnings     to     the 

multitude. 
„    16,  17     .     .     .     .     The  baptism   with  water  and  with 

the  Holy  Ghost  and  fire. 

iv.  I-13 The  Temptation. 

vi.  20-23     ....     The  Blessings. 
5,  27-36  (except  34) .     The  command  of  Levi. 
»  37-44      ....     Against  judging. 
„  46-49      ....     Hearing  and  doing. 

vii.  i-io The  centurion's  servant  healed. 

,,  18-28  (except  21)  .     Answer  to,   and  commendation  of, 

John. 

,,  31-35 Attitude  of  different  classes  to  Jesus. 

ix.  2 The  announcement  of  the  coming  of 

the  Kingdom. 
j>   57-60      ....     The  would-be  followers. 

X.  2-16 The  instructions  to  the  Seventy. 

,,    21-24      ....     The   Son's  joy,   and  the  disciples 

privilege. 

xi.  2-4 The  Lord's  Prayer. 

„    9-13 The  encouragement  to  pray. 


20 


Westminster  New  Testament 


xi.  14/17)  I9»  20,  23, 

„  24-26     .     .     .     . 

,,  16,  29-32    .     .     . 

»  33-35     .     .     •     . 

»    39.  41,  42,  44,  46- 

52. 
xii.  2-10  .... 


22-34 
39,  40 
42-46 

51-53 
58,59 
18-21 
24  . 
28-29 


n    34,  35 

xiv.  II.     . 

„    16-24 

„    26,  27 

,,  34,  35 
XV.  4-7  . 
xvi.  13 

„  16-18 
xvii.  I,  3,  4,  6 

„    23,  24,  26,  27,  33, 

34,  35,  37. 
xix.  12-27  (except  26). 

,,26 

xxii.  28-30      .     .     .     . 


Casting  out  devils  by  Beelzebub. 
The  unclean  spirit  seeking  rest. 
The  seeking  for  a  sign. 
The  lamp  on  the  stand,  the  lamp  of 

the  body. 
The  denunciation  of  the  Pharisees. 

Warnings  and  encouragements  to  the 

disciples. 
Anxiety  forbidden. 
The  duty  of  watchfulness. 
The  faithful  and  wise  steward. 
The  divisions  among  men. 
Agreement  with  the  adversary. 
The  mustard  seed  and  the  leaven. 
The  narrow  door. 
The    woe    of   exclusion    from    the 

Kingdom. 
The  lament  over  Jerusalem. 
The  humble  exalted. 
The  great  supper. 

The  severe  demands  of  discipleship. 
The  savourless  salt. 
The  lost  sheep. 
God  and  Mammon. 
The  unchanging  law. 
Offences  and  forgiveness. 
The  signs  of  the  end. 

The  pounds.^ 

Giving  to  him  that  hath. 

The  reward  of  the  disciples'  fidelity. 


(d)  This    reconstruction   is    in    a    high   degree 

^  It  is  doubtful  whether  this  parable  does  belong  to  Q.     See 
the  Commentary. 


St.  Luke  21 

conjectural,  and  yet  it  is  of  great  interest.  Sir 
William  Ramsay  maintains  that  such  a  collection  of 
the  sayings  of  Jesus  was  made  even  before  the 
Crucifixion,  a  date  which  would  account  for  the 
absence  in  the  source  of  all  reference  to  the  story 
of  the  Passion.  While  Harnack  does  not  himself 
assign  so  early  a  date  to  it,  he  does  insist  on  a 
special  feature  of  this  source,  for  which  he  uses  the 
letter  Q.  "What  in  the  Gospels  is,  after  Mark's 
example,  the  chief  thing — the  preparation  for  the 
Passion,  the  speeches  referring  to  it,  and  the  Passion 
itself — has,  so  far  as  we  can  judge,  no  place  at  all  in 
Q.  Herein  lies  the  fundamental  distinction  between 
the  Gospels  and  Q.  This  is  not,  in  fact,  a  Gospel 
as  those  are"  (p.  120).  His  general  description  of 
it  runs  thus  :  "  Q  is  a  collection — not  arranged  with 
reference  to  the  Passion — of  the  speeches  and 
sayings  of  Jesus  with  practically  an  exclusively 
Galilsean  horizon,  without  any  demonstrable  special 
tendencies,  be  it  apologetic,  didactic,  religious- 
political  or  national  (anti-national)."  Harnack 
denies  that  there  are  either  reasons  for  or  against 
assigning  this  source  to  Matthew  in  accordance  with 
the  tradition  already  mentioned.  But  he  gives  a 
very  high  historical  value  to  it.  He  says :  "  The 
picture  of  Jesus,  which  Q  has  given  in  the  sayings 
of  Jesus,  has  remained  in  the  foreground.  The 
attempts  to  displace  it  by  Mark  have  not  suc- 
ceeded ;  they  will  always  again  lead  to  abysses, 
and  destroy  themselves.  The  collection  of  sayings 
and  Mark  must  keep  their  validity  ;  but  that  takes 
the  first  place.  Above  all,  the  exaggeration  of  the 
apocalyptic-eschatological  element  in  the  preach- 
ing of  Jesus,  and  the  putting  in  the  second  place 
of  the  purely  religious  and  moral  moments  behind 


22   Westminster  New  Testament 

that,  will  always  find  their  contradiction  by  the 
collection  of  sayings.  It  offers  the  pledge  for  that 
which  in  the  proclamation  of  Jesus  was  the  chief 
thing :  the  knowledge  of  God  and  the  morality  of 
repentance  and  faith,  the  renunciation  of  the  world 
and  the  securing  of  heaven — nothing  else  "  (p.  173). 
While  these  conclusions  have  not  gained  general 
acceptance  in  Germany,  there  is  much  probability 
in  them ;  and  they  justify  our  confidence  in 
the  historical  trustworthiness  of  Luke's  second 
source. 

4.  These  two  sources  leave  much  in  Luke's 
Gospel  unaccounted  for,  and  we  are  compelled  to 
ask  ourselves.  Where  did  he  get  his  additional 
material  ?  Here  we  have  not  the  original  source, 
as  is  the  case  with  Mark's  Gospel,  before  us  ;  here 
even  we  cannot  compare  Luke  with  another 
Gospel,  and  determine  their  common  source  from 
the  material  that  both  have  borrowed.  It  is  true 
that  the  peculiar  matter  in  Luke  has  its  distinctive 
characteristics,  but  any  attempt  to  reconstruct  from 
these  a  third  literary  source  must  be  futile. 

(«)  A  number  of  separate  sources,  written  or 
oral,  may  have  been  collected  by  him,  and  then 
worked  over.  Summaries  such  as  those  found  in 
iv.  14-15  and  iv.  44,  introducing  material  peculiar 
to  him,  may  point  to  such  sources.  The  Hebraisms 
do  not  prove  the  use  of  Semitic  sources,  as  they 
are  explicable  by  his  thorough  familiarity  with  the 
language  of  the  Septuagint,  and  his  literary  art  in 
adapting  his  style  to  his  subject-matter.  We  know 
from  Acts  that  he  accompanied  Paul  to  Jerusalem 
on  his  last  journey  thither,  and  that  he  was  with 
him  again  on  the  voyage  from  Csesarea  to  Rome ; 
doubtless  he   used   his    opportunities   of  personal 


St.  Luke  23 

intercourse  with  members  of  the  primitive  Church 
to  pick  up  additional  or  variant  traditions  of  events 
or  discourses.  There  are  frequent  references  to 
Herod  (iii.  1,  ix.  9,  xiii.  31,  xxiii.  7),  and  these 
may  be  due  to  intercourse  with  Joanna^  the  wife  of 
Chuza.  Did  some  of  the  women  who  wept  for 
Jesus  on  the  way  to  the  Cross  tell  Luke  of  His 
gracious  compassion  (xxii.  27,  31)?  The  story  of 
the  birth  and  childhood  of  Jesus  (i.,  ii.)  is  told,  it 
has  been  often  argued,  from  the  mother's  stand- 
point. 

(6)  It  is  in  the  section  of  his  Gospel  between 
ix.  51-xviii.  14  that  most  of  the  additional 
material  is  found  ;  and  here  the  references  and  the 
grouping  are  very  much  more  vague  than  where 
Luke  is  following  either  of  the  other  two  sources. 
Although  this  section  has  been  called  the  Travel 
document,  and  the  thread  of  continuity  amid  its 
varied  contents  is  the  ascent  of  Jesus  from  Galilee 
to  Jerusalem,  yet  there  is  no  sufficient  ground  for 
assuming  that  Luke  had  one  literary  source  before 
him.  At  ix.  51  the  journey  to  Jerusalem  begins  ; 
at  xiii.  22  Jesus  is  on  His  way  to  Jerusalem  ;  and 
so  again  at  xvii.  11.  Is  this  the  one  journey,  the 
last  before  His  death.?  or  are  we  to  understand 
three  journeys  from  Galilee  or  Peraea  to  Jerusalem, 
corresponding  to  the  visits  to  Jerusalem  recorded 
in  the  Fourth  Gospel  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles 
(vii.  2),  at  the  Feast  of  the  Dedication  (x.  22),  and  at 
the  last  Passover  (xii.  1)  ?  The  indications  of  time 
and  place  are  very  vague,  but  it  is  not  at  all 
unlikely  that  Luke  did  come  into  contact  with 
the  eye-witness  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for 
the  Fourth  Gospel,  and  that  he  learned  from 
him    about    a    ministry    in    Peraea    and    Samaria 


24   Westminster  New  Testament 

between  the  end  of  the  Galilaean  ministry  and 
the  last  Passover  in  Jerusalem,  and  also  of  several 
visits  to  Jerusalem  in  this  last  stage  of  the  Lord's 
ministry. 

(c)  There  are  other  points  of  contact  with  the 
Fourth  Gospel.  Luke  iv.  14  (^^  And  Jesus  returned 
in  the  power  of  the  Spirit  into  Galilee  :  and  a  fame 
went  out  concerning  Him  through  all  the  region 
round  about")  describes  the  very  beginning  of 
the  Galilaean  ministry  according  to  the  common 
Synoptic  tradition,  but  so  rapid  a  spread  of  Jesus' 
fame  becomes  more  intelligible  if  the  early  ministry 
of  Jesus  as  recorded  by  John  is  understood  to  have 
preceded  this  return  to  Galilee,  and  some  know- 
ledge of  this  seems  to  have  been  present  to  Luke's 
mind.  In  iv.  44  there  is  a  variant  reading,  Judoea 
for  Galilee,  which,  if  correct,  shows  the  Evangelist's 
knowledge  of  an  early  Judaean  ministiy.  An 
earnest,  continued  effort  to  win  Jerusalem  is  pre- 
supposed in  the  lament  (xiii.  34,  S5),  which  Luke 
places  at  an  earlier  stage  in  the  ministry  of  Jesus 
than  Matthew  does  (xxiii.  37-39).  Luke  and  John 
alone  tell  us  that  it  was  the  right  ear  of  the  servant 
which  Peter  cut  off  (Luke  xxii.  50  =  John  xviii.  10), 
In  the  story  of  the  Resurrection  there  are  also  close 
parallels  between  the  Evangelists  (Luke  xxiv.  12  = 
John  XX.  S-Q,  10;  Luke  xxiv.  36  =  John  xx.  19; 
Luke  xxiv.  40  =  John  xx.  20).  While  this  evidence 
is  not  sufficient  to  ''  establish  a  literary  relation," 
yet  it  proves  a  common  tradition,  or  even  personal 
intercourse.  If  it  be  observed  that  the  two  other 
sources  from  which  Luke  drew  his  material  were 
the  reminiscences  of  Peter  as  reported  by  Mark, 
and  the  collection  of  Jesus'  sayings  as  made  by 
Matthew,   and    that    these    sources    confine    the 


St.  Luke  25 

ministry  of  Jesus  almost  altogether  to  Galilee^  we 
can  understand  how  Luke,  coming  into  contact  as 
he  did  with  members  of  the  primitive  community 
in  Jerusalem,  would  discover  how  incomplete  these 
sources  were,  how  one-sided  their  representation 
of  the  ministry  and  teaching  of  Jesus  was,  and 
would  endeavour  to  supplement  them  from  other 
sources,  probably  for  the  most  part  oral.  Is  it 
too  bold  a  conjecture  to  assume  that  the  Third 
and  the  Fourth  Evangelists  had  personal  inter- 
course together,  and  even  came  to  some  common 
understanding  as  to  the  way  in  which  each 
would  supplement  the  existing  sources  ?  It  is  at 
least  remarkable  that  Luke,  with  all  his  effort  to 
be  complete,  did  not  make  use  of  the  tradition 
embodied  in  the  Fourth  Gospel,  to  part  of  which 
at  least  we  may  suppose  he  had  access  during  his 
visit  to  Jerusalem. 

(d)  An  examination  of  the  matter  peculiar  to 
Luke's  Gospel  shows  a  special  interest  in  the 
problem  of  poverty  and  riches,  e.g.  the  blessings 
and  woes  (vi.  24-26),  the  Good  Samaritan  (x.  28-37), 
the  rich  fool  (xii.  13-21),  the  unjust  steward 
(xvi.  1-12),  the  rich  man  and  Lazarus  (xvi.  19-31), 
and  the  passages  dealing  with  this  theme  are 
sometimes  ascribed  to  an  Ebmiitic  source ;  but 
Ebionism  in  the  strict  sense  of  a  condemnation  of 
wealth,  a  requirement  of  poverty  as  a  condition 
of  spiritual  well-being,  and  an  insistence  on  charity 
as  the  supreme  duty,  is  not  found  in  Luke's 
Gospel,  even  although  he  emphasises  the  dangers 
of  wealth,  sympathises  keenly  with  the  poor, 
and  commends  warmly  the  duty  of  philanthropy. 
As  Jiilicher  says  in  his  Introduction  (§  27,  p.  206), 
"One  has   spoken   of    the  Ebionite  character   of 


26  Westminster  New  Testament 

this  Gospel,  and  sought  for  the  Jewish  influences 
and  sources  ;  but  altogether  wrongly." 

(e)  Two  other  special  interests  may  be  noticed 
in  the  material  peculiar  to  Luke :  his  care  for 
women,  and  his  emphasis  on  the  universality  of 
the  Gospel.  Instances  of  the  first  are  the  way  the 
Story  of  the  Infancy  is  told  (i.-ii.),  the  anointing 
by  the  sinful  woman  (vii.  36-50),  the  ministering 
women  (viii.  1-3),  Martha  and  Mary  (x.  28-42), 
the  woman's  blessing  on  the  mother  of  Jesus  (xi.  27, 
28),  the  daughters  of  Jerusalem  (xxiii.  27-31). 
This  peculiarity  is  mentioned  here  in  dealing  with 
the  sources  as  it  suggests  one  channel  through 
which  information  may  have  come  to  Luke.  In 
dealing  with  the  sources  of  the  Book  of  Acts 
Harnack  assumes  that  much  of  the  story  of  the 
primitive  Church  was  derived  from  Philip  and  his 
daughters,  as  the  mention  of  the  daughters  in 
Acts  xxi.  9  is  noteworthy  (Die  Apostelgeschichte, 
p.  151).  Even  if  these  daughters  were  not  Luke's 
informants  regarding  any  of  the  traditions  in  his 
Gospel,  yet  Harnack' s  allusion  to  them  suggests 
that  Luke  sought  information  from  the  women  of 
the  primitive  Church,  who  would  cherish  the  stories 
of  Jesus'  interest  in  womanhood. 

(y)  Luke  did  not  derive  any  of  his  materials 
from  Paul,  but  who  can  doubt  that  Paul's  influence 
determined  his  choice  of  some  of  his  materials  ? 
His  universalism,  if  not  entirely  due  to  Paul  but 
to  his  Gentile  birth,  was  confirmed  by  his  inter- 
course with  the  Apostle  to  the  Gentiles.  And  in 
his  universalism  we  may  include  his  interest  in  the 
outcasts  of  Jewish  society  as  well  as  the  Gentile 
and  the  Samaritan.  His  interest  in  Samaria  may 
have  had  an  additional  reason,  as  Harnack  suggests. 


St.  Luke  27 

in  his  intimacy  with  Philip  the  Evangelist.  This 
tendency  is  illustrated  by  the  genealogy  of  Jesus, 
which  is  carried  back  to  Adam  (iii.  23-38),  the 
visit  to  Nazareth  and  the  discourse  there  (iv.  I6- 
30),  the  forgiveness  of  "  the  sinner  "  (vii.  36-50), 
the  mission  of  the  Seventy  (x.  i.),  the  Good 
Samaritan  (x.  30-37),  the  Prodigal  Son  (xv.  11-32), 
the  ten  lepers  (xvii,  11-19),  the  Pharisee  and 
Publican  (xviii.  9-1'*);,  the  visit  to  Zacchaeus  (xix. 
1-10),  the  penitent  thief  (xxiii.  39-4>3).  The 
emphasis  in  the  Third  Gospel  on  grace  and  faith 
is  also  Pauline,  so  is  the  prominence  given  to  the 
work  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  following  passages 
in  Luke  and  in  Paul's  letters  may  be  compared  : 
X.  7  and  1  Tim.  v.  18  ;  x.  8  and  1  Cor.  x.  27  ;  xii.  35 
and  Eph.  vi.  14;  xxi.  34  and  1  Thess.  v.  6,  and 
Rom.  xiii.  13  ;  xxii.  19  and  1  Cor.  xi.  23-25  ;  xxiv.  34 
and  1  Cor.  xv.  5.  The  vocabulary  also  shows  a 
striking  likeness.  Luke  has  101  words  which  do 
not  occur  elsewhere  in  the  New  Testament  in 
common  with  Paul,  while  Matthew  has  only 
32,  Mark  22,  and  John  21.  While  there  is  this 
Pauline  influence,  Luke  does  not  reproduce  the 
Pauline  theology,and  Origen's  suggestion  that  when 
Paul  spoke  of  ^^  my  Gospel"  (Rom.  ii.  I6,  xvi.  25  ; 
2  Tim.  ii.  8)  he  was  referring  to  the  Third  Gospel 
has  no  solid  ground  to  rest  on.  As  the  Book  of 
Acts  when  compared  with  Paul's  letters  shows, 
Luke,  though  a  companion  and  fellow-worker  of 
Paul's,  as  a  Gentile,  born  and  bred,  could  not 
understand  the  theology  of  Paul,  in  which  Jewish 
particularism  develops  into  Christian  universalism. 
And  yet  we  may  be  profoundly  grateful  that  one 
who  had  been  influenced  by  the  spirit  of  Paul 
was  led  to  write  this  record  of  Jesus'  earthly  life. 


28  Westminster  New  Testament 


V.  THE  CHARACTERISTICS  OF  THE 
GOSPEL. 

The  Third  Gospel  is  the  work  of  an  educated 
professional  man,  and  his  work  shows  the  marks  of 
his  culture.  He  commands  an  abundant  vocabulary, 
using  many  words  not  found  elsewhere  in  the 
Gospels  :  about  three-fourths  of  the  words  peculiar 
to  him  are  derived  from  the  Septuagint,  with  which 
his  stjde  shows  his  familiarity,  and  one-seventh 
are  non-classical.  Yet  in  style  he  is  much  more 
classical  than  either  Matthew  or  Mark. 

(«)  A  peculiarity  of  his  language  which  has 
confirmed  his  identification  with  Luke,  the 
"beloved  physician/'  is  his  frequent  use  of  medical 
terms.  Dr.  Hobart  in  1882  published  a  book  on 
The  Medical  Language  of  St.  Luke,  in  which  he 
brought  together  from  the  Gospel  and  Acts  over 
four  hundred  words  which  were  used  by  Luke 
either  alone,  or  oftener  than  by  any  other  New 
Testament  writer,  and  which  are  also  found  in  Greek 
jnedical  writers.  But  his  list  needs  careful  sifting, 
as  a  very  large  proportion  is  found  in  the  Septua- 
gint.  Not  more  than  a  hundred  words  at  most 
can  be  put  down  to  his  medical  training  as  the 
sole  reason  for  their  use.  A  few  instances  may  be 
given.  In  Luke  iv.  35  the  description  of  the 
demoniac's  symptoms  (as  compared  with  Mark  i.  26) 
betrays  the  physician.  In  iv.  38  ( =  Mark  i.  30) 
he  describes  the  fever  of  Peter  s  wife's  mother  as 
great.  In  v.  12  (  =  Mark  i.  40)  the  sufferer  is  not 
described  simply  as  a  leper,  but  as  "full  of 
leprosy."  In  v.  18  (  =  Mark  ii.  3)  the  term  used  for 
the  paralytic  is  more  technical.  In  vi.  6  (  =  Mark 
iii.   1)  he  states  that  the  withered  hand  was  the 


St.  Luke  29 

right  one.  In  viii.  27  (  =  Mark  v.  2)  the  Gadarene 
demoniac  is  described  as  for  a  long  time  having  7vom 
no  clothes.  For  Mark's  (v.  26)  fuller  account  of 
what  the  woman  with  the  issue  of  blood  had 
suffered  at  the  hands  of  physicians,  Luke  (viii.  43) 
substitutes  the  briefer  statement,  "  and  could  not 
be  healed  of  any."  ^  In  the  narrative  of  the 
restoration  to  life  of  Jairus'  daughter,  the  clause 
is  added  (Luke  viii.  55  =  Mark  v.  42):  "And 
her  spirit  returned."  In  ix.  38  if.  (=  Mark 
ix.  17  ff.)  he  has  inserted  in  the  prayer  of  the 
father  the  words,  "  Look  upon  my  son ;  for  he 
is  mine  only  child,"  and  describes  the  symp- 
toms of  the  seizure  in  greater  detail.  In  the 
story  of  Malchus  (Luke  xxii.  50,  51  =  Mark  xiv. 
47)  the  detail  that  it  was  the  right  ear  is  added. 
Of  these  instances  Harnack  says  that  "only  a 
very  small  part  can  be  got  rid  of  by  refemng  to 
the  well-known  endeavour  of  Luke  to  improve 
the  text  of  Mark  as  regards  language ;  the  most 
of  these  show  clearly  the  pen  of  a  man,  who  is 
either  himself  a  physician,  or  has  a  special  medical 
interest"  (Lukas der  Artzt,  p.  128).  In  the  miracles 
recorded  by  Luke  alone  (the  young  man  of  Nain, 
the  paralysed  woman,  and  the  man  with  dropsy), 
as  well  as  in  the  Parables  of  the  Good  Samaritan 
and  the  Rich  Man  and  Lazarus,  there  are  indica- 
tions of  the  same  interest  (see  Commentary). 
The  preface  to  the  Gospels,  if  not  modelled  on, 
yet  shows  resemblances  to,  the  preface  of  a  medical 
treatise  by  Dioscorides,  who  lived  in  the  first  or 
second  century  a.d.,  and  whose  home  was  not  far 
from  Tarsus. 

^  The  preceding  clause,   "had  spent  all  her  living  upon 
physicians,"  is  probably  a  later  insertion. 


30  Westminster  New  Testament 

(b)  His  Hebraisms  are  not  altogether  explained 
by  his  familiarity  with  the  Septuagint^  or  even  by 
his  use  of  Aramaic  som-ces^  but  show  also  his 
literary  art.  In  Acts,  for  instance,  the  account 
of  the  Church  in  Jerusalem  has  more  of  these 
features  than  the  subsequent  record  of  the  Gentile 
mission.  Literary  art  is  also  shown  in  the  triple 
division  both  of  the  Gospel  and  Acts.  In  the 
Gospel  we  have  the  ministry  in  Galilee  (iii.  1-ix. 
50),  between  Galilee  and  Jerusalem  (ix.  51-xix.  28), 
and  in  Jerusalem  (xix.  29-xxiv.  53).  In  the  Acts 
we  have  the  Jerusalem  Church  (ii.-v.),  the  ex- 
pansion to  Antioch  (vi.-xii.),  the  missions  to  the 
Gentiles  till  Rome  is  reached  (xiii.-xxviii.). 

(c)  The  preface  shows  the  writer's  consciousness 
of  his  responsibility  as  an  historian.  If  he  did  not 
and  could  not  write  history  with  the  scientific 
method  which  is  now  insisted  on,  yet  for  his  own 
time  and  surroundings  he  shows  marked  care. 
In  his  fii'st  clause  he  indicates  his  dissatisfaction 
with  the  numerous  efforts  being  then  made  to 
write  an  account  of  what  the  Church  held  as  true 
about  the  life  and  teaching  of  its  Founder.  In  his 
second  he  admits  that  he  must  needs  write  at 
second-hand,  but  his  information  comes  from  eye- 
witnesses. In  his  third  he  states  that  he  has 
prepared  himself  for  his  task  by  carrying  back 
his  investigations  as  far  as  possible,  and  that  he 
intends  to  set  out  his  knowledge  i?i  order  (a  study 
of  the  Gospel  shows  that  the  arrangement  is 
not  strictly  chronological,  but  seems  sometimes  to 
be  topical).  In  his  last  he  gives  his  purpose,  to 
provide  his  reader  with  a  record  which  can  be 
trusted.  His  aim  throughout  is  accuracy  and 
completeness.     He   connects    the   story  with  the 


St.  Luke  31 

contemporary  history  (ii.  1^  2,  iii.  1,  2),  and 
although  the  correctness  of  these  allusions  has 
been  challenged,  yet  his  trustworthiness  as  an 
historian  in  the  opinion  of  eminent  scholars 
stands  the  test.  He  gives  personal  names  when 
he  can  (vii.  40,  viii.  3,  xix.  2,  xxiv.  18).  Unlike 
Matthew,  who  groups  the  sayings  of  Jesus,  Luke 
whenever  he  can  gives  their  occasion.  He  notes 
the  impression  made  by  Jesus  on  audience  or 
spectators  (iv.  15,  ix.  43,  xviii.  43,  xix.  37). 

(d)  In  apparent  contradiction  to  his  professed  aim 
of  completeness  are  his  omissions.  He  practically 
omits  the  section  Mark  vi.  45- viii.  26  (  =  Matt. 
xiv.  22-xvi.  12 ;  see  page  15),  several  of  the 
incidents  in  which,  one  would  have  thought, 
would  have  strongly  appealed  to  his  special 
interest.  He  usually  follows  his  sources,  especially 
the  order  in  Mark's  Gospel ;  and  this  omission  is 
inexplicable  unless  by  some  accident  these  pages 
of  Mark's  Gospel  were  not  in  his  copy.  It  is  not 
the  case  that  he  avoids  duplicates  on  principle,  for 
the  number  of  instances  in  which  similar  incidents 
are  reported  is  undoubtedly  greater  than  that  of 
cases  in  which  an  omission  (such  as  of  the  feeding 
of  the  four  thousand)  can  be  accounted  for  as 
due  to  the  record  of  a  similar  incident  elsewhere. 

(e)  There  is  no  doubt  whatever  that  he  writes  as 
a  Gentile  for  Gentiles.  He  substitutes  Greek  for 
Hebrew  names,  as  Zelotes  for  Cananaean  (vi.  15), 
and  Kranion  the  Skull  for  Golgotha  (xxiii.  33). 
Teacher  or  Master  takes  the  place  of  Rabbi.  He 
uses  Amen  only  seven  times,  whereas  Matthew 
uses  it  thirty,  and  he  substitutes  for  it  of  a  truth 
(iv.  25,  ix.  27,  xii.  44,  xxi.  3,  xxii.  59).  He  adds 
unclean  to  demon  (iv.  33),  for  Gentiles  believed  in 


32   Westminster  New  Testament 

good  as  well  as  bad  demons.  In  the  account  of 
the  Transfiguration  he  avoids  the  word  was  meta- 
morphosed, used  by  Mark  ix.  2  and  Matt.  xvii.  2, 
owing  to  the  mythological  suggestion  the  word 
would  have  for  pagan  readers.  He  gives  very 
briefly,  as  compared  with  Matthew,  all  that  Jesus 
^aid  about  the  Law.  The  argument  from  prophecy 
does  not  play  so  prominent  a  part  as  in  Matthew. 
Of  the  five  instances  all  but  one  are  in  Christ's 
speech  to  Jews.  His  universalism  has  already 
been  noted.  While  the  Gospel  is  not  anti- 
Jewish,  there  is  an  antipathy  to  the  exclusiveness 
of  Pharisaism,  and  it  is  the  Gospel  of  free  grace 
to  all  men.  Addressed  to  Theophilus,  a  Gentile,  a 
Roman  official,  for  the  confirmation  of  his  personal 
faith,  it  is  evidently  intended  for  a  wider  Gentile 
audience.  Probably  he  had  in  view  in  writing  the 
Churches  which  had  been  gathered  together  by 
his  companion  and  teacher  Paul. 

(y)  His  emphasis  on  the  love  of  God  to  the 
unworthy,  his  sympathy  with  social  outcasts,  his  com- 
mendation of  philanthropy,  his  interest  in  the  place 
of  women  in  the  ministry  of  Jesus,  are  characteristics 
which  have  already  been  mentioned.  Some  other 
peculiar  traits  may  be  briefly  alluded  to.  A  mark 
of  his  poetic  mind  and  his  love  of  the  supernatural 
is  his  introduction  of  angelic  ministry,  where  a 
more  prosaic  writer  would  have  found  some 
other  explanation.  The  supernatural  action  of 
the  Spirit  of  God  is  more  congenial  to  his  mind 
than  the  moral  influence.  This  partiality  for  the 
abnormal  has  so  aff^ected  Harnack's  judgment  of 
Luke  as  an  historian  that  he  probably  does  him 
less  than  justice;  and  Sir  William  Ramsay  seems 
to   be  more  truly  scientific  when  he  insists  that 


St.  Luke  33 

this  feature  in  his  narrative  should  not  be  allowed 
to  bias  our  estimate  of  his  historical  trustworthi- 
ness. A  devout  man  himself,  Luke  lays  stress 
on  Jesus'  devotions,  His  frequent  and  prolonged 
prayer  (v.  l6,  vi.  12,  ix.  18,  28,  xi.  1). 

(g)  Dr.  Bruce  makes  much  of  what  he  calls  ^^  the 
idealisation  of  the  characters  of  Jesus  and  the  dis- 
ciples "  as  '^  one  very  marked  feature  of  this  Gospel." 
"These  are  contemplated,"  he  says,  "not  in  the 
light  of  memory,  as  in  Mark,  but  through  the 
brightly  adorned  medium  of  faith."  This  applies 
specially  to  the  disciples  ;  "  their  faults — ignorance, 
weak  faith,  mutual  rivalries  —  are  acknowledged, 
yet  touched  with  sparing  hand."  Luke  omits 
"  the  conversation  about  the  leaven  of  the 
Pharisees,  the  ambitious  request  of  James  and 
John,  the  anointing  in  Bethany,  the  flight  of  the 
disciples,"  in  all  of  which  some  defect  on  their 
part  appears.  In  dealing  with  Jesus  Himself 
he  avoids  what  might  have  been  misunderstood 
by  the  uninformed,  as  in  treating  the  cleansing  of 
the  Temple,  and  the  agony  in  Gethsemane.  He 
writes  under  the  influence  of  "  the  Christian  con- 
sciousness of  the  time"  (see  the  Expositors  Greek 
Testamejit,  i.  p.  47). 


VI.  THE  DIVISIONS  OF  THE  GOSPEL. 

Preface,  i.  1-4. 
I.  The  Story  of  the  Infancy,  i.  5-ii.  52. 
II.  The  Forerunner  and  the  Preparation  of  Jesus,  iii.  i-iv,  13. 
III.  The  Ministry  of  Jesus  in  Galilee,  iv.  14-ix.  50. 

A.  The  First  Stage  of  the  Ministry,  iv.  14-vi.  11. 

B.  „    Second      ,,  ,,  vi.  12-viii.  56. 

C.  „    Third         „  „         ix.  1-50. 

3 


34   Westminster  New  Testament 

IV.  The  "Travel  Document,"  ix.  51-xviii.  14. 

A.  The  First  Section,  ix.  51-xiii.  21. 

B.  ,,    Second     „       xiii.  22-xvii.  10. 

C.  J,    Third       ,,       xvii.  lo-xviii.  14. 

V.  The  Close  of  the  Public  Ministry,  xviii.  15-xxi.  38. 
VI.  The  Passion,  xxii.-xxiii. 
VII.  The  Resurrection,  xxiv. 


Luke  i.  1-4. 

PREFACE. 

Forasmuch  as  many  have  taken  in  hand  to  set  forth  in  order 
a  declaration  of  those  things  which  are  most  surely  believed 

2  among  us,  even  as  they  delivered  them  unto  us,  which 
from  the  beginning  were  eye-witnesses,  and   ministers  of 

3  the  word ;  it  seemed  good  to  me  also,  having  had  perfect 
understanding  of  all  things   from  the  very  first,  to  write 

4  unto  thee  in  order,  most  excellent  Theophilus,  that  thou 
mightest  know  the  certainty  of  those  things,  wherein  thou 
hast  been  instructed. 

This  preface  is  classical  in  style,  both  in  the  words 
and  in  the  construction  employed.  It  shows  the 
writer's  honesty  and  his  modesty.  It  affords  us 
the  only  information  we  have  about  the  com- 
position of  the  Gospels  in  the  earliest  times.  It 
has  already  been  examined  in  the  Introduction  to 
show  what  it  tells  us  about  Luke's  purpose  and 
method  (see  p.  30). 

1.  many.  It  is  a  question  whether  Luke  intends 
to  include  the  earlier  of  the  sources  he  uses  in  this 
word.  It  shows  how  wide  was  the  interest  in  the 
earthly  life  of  Jesus,  taken  in  hand.  Conveys  no 
censure,  as  of  unsuccessful  effort,  to  set  forth  in 
order.  "  To  draw  up  again  in  order  a  narrative " 
(Plummer).  those  things  which  are  most 
surely  believed.  Better  the  R.  V.,  "  those  matters 
which  have  been  fulfilled/'  that  is,  have  been 
accomplished,     among  US,  i.e.  Christians. 


36  Westminster  New  Testament 

2.  they.  The  eye-witnesses  are  contrasted  with 
us,  the  many^  among  whom  Luke  includes 
himself,  delivered.  Whether  orally  or  in  writing 
he  does  not  say.  ministers  of  the  word.  As 
preachers  and  teachers  they  had  proved  the  truth 
and  worth  of  what  as  eye-witnesses  they  had  known 
as  facts,  the  word.  Not  the  personal  Christ,  but 
the  Gospel,  the  common  Christian  preaching. 

3.  to  me  also.  This  is  Luke's  first  reason  for 
writing  ;  as  others  had  done,  so  might  he,  and  he 
even  might  do  better  than  they,  having  had 
understanding.  Better  the  R.  V.,  "  having  traced 
the  course,"  not  as  a  contemporary  of  the  events, 
but  as  an  investigator  of  the  evidence,  from  the 
very  first,  i-e,  the  promise  of  the  birth  of  John 
the  Baptist.  He  had  carried  his  investigation 
further  back  than  any ;  this  is  his  second  reason. 
perfect.  Better  R.V.,  "accurately."  This  is  his 
third  reason.  He  suggests  that  he  has  been  more 
successful  than  his  predecessors,  in  order.  This 
is  his  fourth  reason ;  he  intends  not  merely  a 
collection  of  the  words  and  works  of  Jesus,  but 
some  arrangement,  not  necessarily  chronological, 
which  will  exhibit  the  life  properly  (see  Intro- 
duction, p.  30).  most  excellent.  A  title  given  to 
persons  of  rank  (Acts  xxiii.  26,  xxiv.  3,  xxvi.  25), 
and  suggests  not  only  that  the  Gospel  is  addressed 
to  a  real  person,  but  also  that  he  was  a  Roman 
official.  Theophilus  (  =  Hebrew  Jedidiah)  means 
"lover  of  God";  a  name  common  among  Jews 
and  Gentiles,  but  not  used,  because  of  its  meaning, 
for  any  pious  reader,  as  an  individual  is  here 
addressed. 

4.  know.  The  Greek  word  suggests  fuller  and 
more    thorough     knowledge    than     that    already 


St.  Luke  i.  5-ii.  52 


37 


possessed,  in  addition  to  the  confirmation  of  all 
already  known.  Other  purpose  than  this  instruc- 
tion and  confirmation  of  Theophilus'  faith  we  are 
not  to  look  for  in  the  Gospel. 


I.  THE  STORY  OF  THE  INFANCY 

(Luke  i.  5-ii.  52). 

This  section  of  the  Gospel  is  peculiar  to  Luke, 
for,  although  Matthew  has  also  the  story  of  the 
Infancy  (i.  and  ii.),  the  only  point  of  agreement  is 
the  fact  of  the  birth  from  a  virgin.  After  the 
genealogy,  Matthew  records  the  dream  of  Joseph 
concerning  Mary,  the  birth  of  Jesus  in  Bethlehem, 
the  visit  of  the  wise  men,  the  flight  into  Egypt, 
the  massacre  of  the  innocents,  the  return  from 
Egypt  on  Herod's  death,  and  the  settlement  in 
Nazareth.  There  is  one  apparent  contradiction. 
Matthew  seems  to  know  nothing  of  a  previous 
residence  in  Nazareth,  or  any  reason  for  a  journey 
thence  to  Bethlehem,  but  assumes  Bethlehem  as 
the  home  of  Mary  and  Joseph.  The  records  other- 
wise can  be  fitted  into  one  another  without  any 
violent  harmonising.  It  has  been  rightly  insisted 
that  the  standpoint  of  Matthew's  record  is  that  of 
Joseph ;  the  standpoint  of  the  story  in  Luke  is 
distinctively  that  of  the  mother.  The  prominence 
of  angelic  ministry  in  Luke's  narrative  (as  in  Acts 
also)  has  already  been  mentioned  in  the  Introduc- 
tion (p.  32)  as  due  either  to  poetic  taste,  or  to  a 
love  for  the  supernatural.  We  may  regard  this  as 
the  literary  adornment  of  the  story  without  doubt- 
ing the  reality  of  the  essential  facts.  That  the 
hymns   introduced   are   not   to   be   taken    as   the 


38  Westminster  New  Testament 

ipsissima  verba  of  the  speakers  may  be  conceded. 
Harnack's  analysis  will  be  given  in  the  Commentary. 
The  silence  of  the  apostolic  writings  regarding  the 
fact  of  the  virgin  birth  is  explicable  as  a  considerate 
reserve,  so  long  as  the  mother  of  Jesus  w^as  herself 
alive,  lest  opponents  might  have  distorted  the  fact 
into  a  shameful  charge  against  her.  What  she 
herself  imparted  in  confidence  would  be  made 
public  only  after  her  death.  The  contrast  between 
the  beauty,  simplicity,  dignity,  and  spirituality  of 
Luke's  story  and  the  folly  and  crudeness  of  the 
Apociyphal  Gospels  is  so  great  that  this  cannot  be 
human  invention  merely,  as  those  are. 


Luke  i.  S-25. 

THE  INTIMATION  OF  THE  BIRTH  OF 
JOHN  THE  BAPTIST. 

5  There  was  in  the  days  of  Herod,  the  king  of  Judaea,  a 
certain  priest  named  Zacharias,  of  the  course  of  Abia  :  and 
his  wife  was  of  the  daughters  of  Aaron,  and  her  name  was 

6  Elisabeth.  And  they  were  both  righteous  before  God, 
walking  in  all  the  commandments  and  ordinances  of  the 

7  Lord  blameless.  And  they  had  no  child,  because  that 
Elisabeth    was  barren,    and   they  both   were    now   well 

8  stricken  in  years.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  while  he 
executed  the  priest's  office  before  God  in  the  order  of  his 

9  course,  according  to  the  custom  of  the  priest's  office,  his 
lot  was  to  burn  incense  when  he  went  into  the  temple  of 

10  the  Lord.     And  the  whole  multitude  of  the  people  were 

1 1  praying  without  at  the  time  of  incense.    And  there  appeared 
unto  him  an  angel  of  the  Lord  standing  on  the  right  side 

12  of  the  altar  of  incense.     And  when  Zacharias  saw  him,  he 

13  was  troubled,  and  fear  fell  upon  him.     But  the  angel  said 
unto  him,  Fear  not,  Zacharias :  for  thy  prayer  is  heard ; 


St.  Luke  i.  5-25 


39 


and  thy  wife  Elisabeth  shall  bear   thee  a  son,  and  thou 

14  shalt  call  his  name  John.     And  thou  shalt  have  joy  and 

15  gladness ;  and  many  shall  rejoice  at  his  birth.  For  he 
shall  be  great  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord,  and  shall  drink 
neither  wine  nor  strong  drink  ;  and  he  shall  be  filled  with 

16  the  Holy  Ghost,  even  from  his  mother's  womb.  And 
many  of  the  children  of  Israel  shall  he  turn  to  the  Lord 

17  their  God.  And  he  shall  go  before  him  in  the  spirit  and 
power  of  Elias,  to  turn  the  hearts  of  the  fathers  to  the 
children,  and  the  disobedient  to  the  wisdom  of  the  just ; 

18  to  make  ready  a  people  prepared  for  the  Lord.  And 
Zacharias  said  unto  the  angel,  Whereby  shall  I  know  this  ? 
for  I  am  an  old  man,  and  my  wife  well  stricken  in  years. 

19  And  the  angel  answering  said  unto  him,  I  am  Gabriel, 
that  stand  in  the  presence  of  God  ;  and  am  sent  to  speak 

20  unto  thee,  and  to  show  thee  these  glad  tidings.  And, 
behold,  thou  shalt  be  dumb,  and  not  able  to  speak,  until 
the  day  that  these  things  shall  be  performed,  because  thou 
believest  not  my  words,  which   shall  be  fulfilled  in  their 

21  season.      And    the    people    waited    for    Zacharias,    and 

22  marvelled  that  he  tarried  so  long  in  the  temple.  And 
when  he  came  out,  he  could  not  speak  unto  them  :  and 
they  perceived  that  he  had   seen  a  vision  in  the  temple  : 

23  for  he  beckoned  to  them,  and  remained  speechless.  And 
it  came  to  pass,  that,  as  soon  as  the  days  of  his  ministration 

24  were  accomplished,  he  departed  to  his  own  house.  And 
after  those  days   his  wife    Elisabeth    conceived,   and   hid 

25  herself  five  months,  saying.  Thus  hath  the  Lord  dealt  with 
me  in  the  days  wherein  he  looked  on  me,  to  take  away  my 
reproach  among  men. 

This  is  the  first  of  the  seven  narratives  of  which 
the  Story  of  the  Infancy  consists.  So  important 
was  the  work  of  the  Forerunner  of  Jesus,  the 
restoration  of  the  ancient  prophetic  succession  in 
order  that  it  might  be  personally  linked  with  the 


40  Westminster  New  Testament 

fulfilment  of  its  hopes,  that  we  must  not  be 
surprised  if  his  birth  is  also  accompanied  by  super- 
natural features,  which  it  must  be  admitted  the 
Evangelist  may  have  heightened  in  his  literary 
presentation  of  them.  It  may  be  remarked  that 
the  classical  style  of  the  preface  ceases,  and  the 
form  of  the  narrative  becomes  distinctly  Hebraic, 
either  because  of  the  sources  used,  or  from  the 
Evangelist's  literary  taste  and  skill. 

5.  Herod.  An  Idumsean  by  birth,  a  Jew  by 
religion,  dependent  on  the  favours  of  Antony  for 
his  title  king,  distinguished  from  the  other 
Herods  as  ^^the  Great,"  although  his  later  years 
were  marked  by  many  cruelties.  Judaea.  Used  in 
the  wider  sense  of  ^^  the  land  of  the  Jews,  Palestine," 
including,  besides  Judaea  proper,  Samaria,  Galilee, 
part  of  Persea,  and  Coelo-Syria.  ZachariaS. 
"remembered  by  Jehovah."  COUrse  means  (1) 
"service  for  a  term  of  days"  (1  Chron.  xxv.  8; 
2  Chron.  xiii.  10;  Neh.  xiii.  30);  and  (2)  "a  course 
of  priests  who  were  on  duty  for  a  term  of  days," 
that  is,  a  week  (1  Chron.  xxiii.  6,  xxviii.  13).  Abia 
(Hebrew  Abijali),  a  descendant  of  Eleazar,  gave 
his  name  to  the  eighth  of  the  twenty-four  courses 
ari'anged  by  David,  according  to  1  Chron.  xxiv.  1 0 ; 
but,  as  this  course  did  not  return  at  the  Exile, 
Zachariah  belonged  to  the  course  then  instituted 
under  that  name.  Each  course  was  on  duty  twice 
in  the  year,  his  wife  was.  Better  R.V.,  "he 
had  a  wife."  Aaron.  John  was  of  priestly  descent 
on  both  sides.  Elisabeth  (Hebrew  Elisheba). 
"  God  is  my  oath." 

6.  righteous.  This  word,  once  full  of  moral 
meaning,  had  come  to  express  only  legality,  but 
the  phrase  before  God  indicates  that  the  original 


St.  Luke  i.  5-25  41 

significance  is  intended,  good  in  God's  and  not 
merely  man's  judgment,  walking,  a  Hebraism, 
commandments  and  ordinances  cannot  be 
distinguished  as  having  a  moral  and  a  ceremonial 
reference,  but  the  first  is  more  definite  than  the 
second,  and  both  are  used  for  emphasis  (cf.  Gen. 
xxvi.  5  and  Deut.  iv.  40).  blameless.  Not  =  sin- 
less, but  above  reproach  (cf.  Phil.  iii.  6). 

7.  no  child.  A  great  grief  to  all  Easterns, 
especially  Jews,  as  each  woman  hoped  that  from 
her,  or  her  offspring,  the  Messiah  would  be  born, 
and  as  childlessness  was  regarded  as  punishment 
for  sin  (Jer.  xxii.  30).    well  Stricken  in  years. 

R.V.  marg.,  "  Gr.  advanced  in  their  days,"  another 
Hebraism ;  not  the  reason  for  their  childlessness, 
but  the  reason  why  they  had  no  hope  of  children. 

9.  according  to  the  custom.  Does  not  refer 
to  what  goes  before,  but  to  what  follows  after  :  that 
lots  were  cast  twice  a  day  to  decide  who  should 
offer  incense,  his  lot,  etc.  Better  R.V.,  "his  lot 
was  to  enter  into  the  temple  of  the  Lord  and  burn 
incense."  The  entrance  into  the  Holy  Place  was 
determined  by  lot  as  well  as  the  burning  incense 
there.  While  two  other  priests  were  chosen  by 
the  one  on  whom  the  lot  had  fallen  to  help  in  the 
preparation,  he  was  left  alone  in  the  Holy  Place 
to  perform  the  sacred  rite. 

10.  praying.  The  Law  mentions  prayers  as  part 
of  the  public  worship  only  in  connection  with 
the  offering  of  the  first-fruits  (Deut.  xxvi.  15). 
without.   In  the  outer  court. 

11.  The  sanctity  of  the  function  he  was  dis- 
charging may  have  made  him  more  sensitive  to  the 
unseen  world.  This  experience  was  not  a  halluci- 
nation, but  had  some  objective  reality;  but  what. 


42   Westminster  New  Testament 

we  cannot  say.  Yet  we  cannot  doubt  that  God  has 
means  of  revelation  beyond  our  common  knowledge. 
the  right  side.  The  place  of  honour,  between  the 
altar  and  the  golden  candlestick. 

1 3.  said.  There  is  voice  as  well  as  vision ;  an 
appeal  to  two  senses,  is  heard.  Better,  "thy 
petition  was  heard  "  when  offered.  Could  Zacharias, 
engaged  in  a  public  function,  have  preferred  his 
own  wish  for  a  son  ?  Is  it  not  more  likely  that  he 
was  praying  for  the  coming  of  the  Messiah  ?  This 
common  good  was  to  bring  a  blessing  to  himself, 
and,  not /or.  The  birth  of  a  son  is  a  gift  over  and 
above  the  fulfilment  of  his  prayer  for  the  people. 
John  (Hebrew  Jehohanan).  "Jehovah's  gift/'  or 
"God  is  gracious." 

14.  many.  The  appearance  of  a  prophet,  long 
desired,  was  warmly  welcomed. 

15.  great  in  the  sight  of  the  Lord.  Truly 

great,  in  reality,  not  only  appearance.  strong 
drink.  Other  than  wine.  John  was  to  be  a  life- 
long Nazirite,  like  Samson  and  Samuel,  filled  with 
the  Holy  Ghost.  Divine  inspiration  instead  of 
physical  intoxication  (see  Eph.  v.  18).  Holy  Ghost 
is  mentioned  fifty-three  times  by  Luke,  twelve 
times  in  the  Gospel ;  he  has  the  ecstatic  more  than 
the  ethical  view  (see  Introduction,  p.  32).  from 
his  mother's  womb.  A  Hebraism  for  "from 
birth." 

16.  17.  The  twofold  function  was:  (1)  The  con- 
version of  the  people  from  sin  and  unbelief  to  God 
(cf.  Mai.  iv.  6),  and  thus  (2)  the  preparation  for  the 
Messiah's  coming,  before  him,  i.e.  God,  who  comes 
to  the  people  in  the  Messiah,  spirit.  Zeal,  fervour. 
power.   Not  of  miracle-working  (cf.  John  x.  41), 

but  of  moral  influence,    fathers.  .  .  .  children. 


St.  Luke  i.  5-25  43 

Either  the  recovery  of  family  affection^  the  loss  of 
which  is  a  sure  sign  of  moral  decay,  or  the  restora- 
tion of  the  continuity  of  piety  between  the  fathers 
of  the  nation  and  their  descendants,  disobedient. 
Not  to  parents,  but  to  God.  wisdom.  The  Greek 
word  may  mean  only  disposition.  tO  make  ready. 
Not  co-ordinate  with,  but  subordinate  to,  the  pre- 
ceding clause,  to  turn,  etc.,  as  the  end  in  view  ; 
the  conversion  is  the  preparation  of  the  people. 

18.  Whereby,  etc.  Abraham's  question  (Gen. 
XV.  8).  It  is  a  demand  for  a  sign  appropriate  to, 
and  in  confirmation  of,  the  promise  (cf.  Ex.  iv.  2-6  ; 
Judg.  vi.  36-39 ;  2  Kings  xx.  8-1 1  ;  Isa.  vii.  10-16), 
and  shows  an  unbelief,  which  these  previous 
instances  left  without  excuse,  for.  An  objection 
to  the  likely  fulfilment  of  the  promise. 

19.  Gabriel  {"  Man  of  God,"  Dan.  viii.  l6,  ix. 
21)  and  Mic/zae/(^^  Who  is  like  God,"  Dan.  x.  13, 
21,  xii.  1 ;  Jude  9 ;  Rev.  xii.  7)  both  belong  to  the 
later  Jewish  angelology,  which  was  largely  borrowed 
from  a  foreign  religion.  The  mention  of  the 
name  is  either  literary  adornment  of  the  fact  by 
the  Evangelist,  or  shows  that  the  manifestation, 
whatever  it  was,  was  conditioned  by  the  mind  of 
the  recipient,  stand.  Wait  on,  minister  to.  in  the 
presence  of  God.  Cf.  Isa.  Ixiii.  9 ;  Matt,  xviii.  10. 
to  shew  glad  tidings.  Gk.  "  evangelise  "  ;  first 
use  of  a  word  to  become  so  common,  and  yet  so 
great. 

20.  dumb.  The  sign  was  appropriate  not  to  the 
promise,  but  to  the  unbelief;  but  its  penalty 
was  also  its  remedy,  believest.  Better  R.V., 
"  believedst." 

21.  marvelled  that  he  tarried.  Better  R.V., 
"marvelled  while  he  tarried."     As    the  fear   was 


44  Westminster  New  Testament 

common  that  the  priest  might  in  so  sacred  a  place 
easily  bring  on  himself  God's  anger,  and  be  slain 
(Lev.  xvi.  2).  According  to  the  Talmud  he  came 
back  as  quickly  as  he  could.  Zacharias  had 
stayed  longer  than  was  usual,  temple,  i-e.  Holy 
Place. 

22.  could  not  speak.  Pronounce  the  benedic- 
tion (Num.  vi.  24-26)  from  the  steps  leading  to 
the  outer  or  people's  court.  perceived,  etc. 
The  people  inferred  from  his  inability  to  speak 
that  something  supernatural  had  occurred  in  the 
sanctuary,  remained.  It  was  not  a  momentary, 
but  a  more  permanent  seizure. 

23.  days  of  his  ministration.  The  week  for 
which  his  course  was  on  duty.  his  house  was 
not  in  Jerusalem,  but  in  an  unnamed  town  in 
"  the  hill  country  "  (ver.  39)  south  of  Jerusalem. 

24.  conceived.  The  Greek  word  used  here  is 
one  common  in  medical  writers,  five  months. 
Till  the  fact  that  she  was  about  to  be  a  mother  was 
put  beyond  a  doubt,  and  her  reproach  among 
women  was  removed.  Because  the  conduct  is 
unusual,  and  the  reason  must  be  guessed,  the 
statement  probably  fact,  and  not  fiction. 

25.  looked  on  me.  R.V.  has  me  in  italics,  to 
show  that  it  is  not  in  the  Greek,  and  it  should  not 
be  supplied  as  the  object  of  the  verb,  which  means 
"watched"  or  "took  care,"  and  has  as  its  object 
the  verb,  to  take  away.  It  is  found  in  N.T. 
only  in  Acts  iv.  29,  but  in  classical  Greek  it  is  used 
to  express  the  interest  of  the  gods  in  human 
affairs,     reproach.   Cf.  Gen.  xxx.  23. 


St.  Luke  i.  26-38  45 

Luke  i.  26-38. 
THE  INTIMATION  OF  THE  BIRTH  OF  JESUS. 

26  And  in  the  sixth  month  the  angel  Gabriel  was  sent  from 

27  God  unto  a  city  of  Galilee,  named  Nazareth,  to  a  virgin 
espoused  to  a  man  whose  name  was  Joseph,  of  the  house 

28  of  David  ;  and  the  virgin's  name  was  Mary.  And  the 
angel  came  in  unto  her,  and  said,  Hail,  thou  that  art 
highly  favoured,  the  Lord  is  with  thee  :  blessed  art  thou 

29  among  women.  And  when  she  saw  him,  she  was  troubled 
at  his  saying,  and  cast  in  her  mind  what  manner  of  saluta- 

30  tion  this  should  be.     And  the  angel  said  unto  her,  Fear 

31  not,  Mary  :  for  thou  hast  found  favour  with  God.  And, 
behold,  thou  shalt  conceive  in  thy  womb,  and  bring  forth 

32  a  son,  and  shalt  call  his  name  Jesus.  He  shall  be  great, 
and  shall  be  called  the  Son  of  the  Highest  :  and  the  Lord 
God  shall  give  unto  him  the  throne  of  his  father  David : 

33  and  he  shall  reign  over  the  house  of  Jacob  for  ever  ;  and 

34  of  his  kingdom  there  shall  be  no  end.  Then  said  Mary 
unto   the  angel,  How  shall  this  be,  seeing  I  know  not  a 

35  man  ?  And  the  angel  answered  and  said  unto  her.  The  Holy 
Ghost  shall  come  upon  thee,  and  the  power  of  the  Highest 
shall  overshadow  thee  :  therefore  also  that  holy  thing  which 

36  shall  be  born  of  thee  shall  be  called  the  Son  of  God.  And, 
behold,  thy  cousin  Elisabeth,  she  hath  also  conceived  a  son 
in  her  old  age  :  and  this  is  the  sixth  month  with  her,  who  was 

37  called  barren.     For  with  God  nothing  shall  be  impossible. 

38  And  Mary  said.  Behold  the  handmaid  of  the  Lord  ;  be  it 
unto  me  according  to  thy  word.  And  the  angel  departed 
from  her. 

The  announcement  of  the  birth  of  the  Fore- 
runner has  as  its  counterpart  the  announcement  of 
the  birth  of  the  Messiah  Himself ;  but  that  birth 
is  supernatural,  as  the  other  is  not.  The  reader 
may  be  referred  to  the  writer's  The  Inner  Life  of 


46  Westminster  New  Testament 

Jesus,  p.  88,  where  the  theological  problem  of  this 
narrative  is  fully  discussed  (also  Orr's  The  Virgin 
Birth).  It  would  be  out  of  place  in  a  commentary, 
even  if  the  necessary  limits  of  space  allowed,  to 
enter  on  a  discussion  of  the  subject  here. 

26.  sixth  month,  i.e.  of  Elisabeth's  conception. 
a  city  of  Galilee.  An  explanation  for  one  un- 
familiar with  the  geography  of  Palestine.  Galilee 
was  originally  the  "circle"  of  territory  round 
Kadesh  Naphtali,  embracing  the  towns  which  were 
Solomon's  gift  to  Hiram  (1  Kings  ix.  11),  but  in 
the  time  of  Christ  included  the  portions  of 
Naphtali,  Asher,  Zebulon,  and  Issachar.  Nazareth 
is  not  mentioned  in  O.T.  or  by  Josephus,  but  need 
not  for  that  reason  be  regarded  as  a  new  town. 
"The  site  is  an  attractive  one,"  says  Plummer 
(*S'^.  Luke,  p.  20),  "in  a  basin  among  the  south 
ridges  of  Lebanon.  The  sheltered  valley  is  very 
fruitful,  and  abounds  in  flowers.  From  the  hill 
behind  the  town  the  view  over  Lebanon,  Hermon, 
Carmel,  the  Mediterranean,  Gilead,  Tabor,  Gilboa, 
the  plain  of  Esdraelon,  and  the  mountains  of 
Samaria,  is  very  celebrated."  The  name  is  also 
spelt  Nazaret,  Nazarath,  and  Nazara ;  Luke  prefers 
Nazaret,  and  this  seems  the  most  probable, 
although  certainty  is  unattainable.  The  modern 
name  is  En  Nazirah. 

27.  espoused.  Better  R. v.,  "betrothed."  The 
betrothal  usually  took  place  a  year  before  the 
marriage ;  and,  while  the  bride  remained  at  home, 
her  property  was  vested  in  her  future  husband, 
and  her  infidelity  was  regarded  as  adultery,  and 
so  liable  to  the  death-penalty  (Deut.  xxii.  23,  24). 
of  the  house  of  David.  It  is  doubtful  whether 
this  description   applies   to    Mary   as   well    as    to 


St.  Luke  i.  26-38  47 

Joseph,  or  to  Joseph  only.  In  ii.  4,  Luke  states 
this  of  Joseph,  and  probably  he  believed  it  also  of 
Mary,  so  that  Christ  through  His  mother  also  had 
the  qualification  of  Messiahship  by  royal  descent. 
The  title  Son  of  David  was  claimed  without 
challenge  for  Jesus  (Mark  x.  4>7,  48  ;  Matt.  ix.  27, 
xii.  23,  XV.  22  ;   cf.  i.  1). 

28.  Hail.  There  is  an  alliteration  and  etymo- 
logical connection  between  the  word  Hail  and 
highly  favoured  in  the  Greek,  which  cannot  be 
reproduced  in  English,  highly  favoured.  Better 
R.V.  margin,  "endowed  with  grace,"  because  of 
God's  presence  with  her.  Blessed,  etc.  This 
clause,  although  attested  by  many  ancient  authori- 
ties, has  probably  slipped  in  here  from  ver.  42. 

29.  when  she  saw  him.  A  single  word  in 
Greek,  borrowed  perhaps  from  ver.  12,  and  to  be 
left  out,  as  in  R.V.  cast  in  her  mind.  Though 
excited,  yet  she  was  capable  of  reflection. 

30.  favour.  Better  R.V.  margin,  "grace" 
endued  with  grace  by  God's  grace. 

31.  Cf.  Isa.  vii.  14;  Matt.  i.  21.  JesUS.  Other 
forms  of  the  name  are  Oshea,  Hoshea,  Jehoshua, 
Jeshua,  Joshua,  and  it  means  '^  Jehovah  is  help," 
or  "  God  the  Saviour." 

32.  great.  In  another  sense  than  John,  for  the 
Son  of  the  Highest  means  a  close  relationship 
to  Jehovah,  although  not  the  metaphysics  of  our 
creeds,  called.  Implies  not  only  the  fact,  but  the 
acknowledgment  of  it  by  others,  the  throne. 
Cf.  2  Sam.  vii.  12-16;  and  Isa.  ix.  6,  7,  xvi.  5. 
his  father.  This  does  not  settle  the  question 
whether  Mary  was  of  Davidic  descent  or  not,  as 
Jesus,  according  to  Jewish  custom,  was  heir  of 
Joseph  (see  notes  on  the  genealogy). 


48  Westminster  New  Testament 

33.  he  shall  reign.  The  national  Messianic 
hope  in  its  older  form  is  expressed  before  the 
rejection  of  Jesus  made  its  literal  fulfilment  impos- 
sible, and  before  it  was  transformed  by  Jesus'  moral 
and  religious  fulfilment  (cf.  Dan.  vii.  14;  Matt.  iv. 
7).  for  ever.  Gr.  "  unto  the  ages."  The  endurance 
of  Christ's  Kingdom  is  asserted  in  Heb.  i.  8  and  Rev. 
xi.  15,  but  Paul  anticipates  its  absorption  in  the 
Father's  sole  sovereignty  (1  Cor.  xv.  24-28). 

34.  The  question  expresses,  not  doubt  of  the 
fact,  but  wonder  at  the  way  of  the  fulfilment  of 
the  promise.  There  is  intended  a  contrast  between 
Mary's  faith  and  Zacharias'  unbelief  (ver.  18). 

35.  The  Holy  Ghost.  While  it  would  be  con- 
trary to  English  usage  to  omit  the  article,  the 
Greek  does,  because  holi/  spirit  is  used  here  im- 
personally for  the  creative  power  of  God,  as  in  Gen. 
i.  2.  Her  conception  is  to  be  by  the  Spirit  (Divine 
power),  not  the  flesh  (human  will) ;  it  is  to  be 
not  sinful  (a  yielding  to  sensual  passion),  but  holy 
(according  to  God's  will;  cf  John  i.  13  ;  Rom.  i. 
3,  4).  overshadow  (cf  ix.  34).  The  Shekinah, 
or  God-presence  in  the  camp  of  Israel,  has  sug- 
gested the  phrase  (Ex.  xl.  38).  It  was  the  Divine 
presence  with,  and  power  in,  Mary  that  made  her 
a  mother  supernaturally.  Therefore  also,  etc. 
Better  R.V.,  "  wherefore  also  that  which  is  to  be 
born  shall  be  called  holy,  the  Son  of  God."  Of 
thee  is  an  ancient  gloss,  perhaps  borrowed  from 
Matt.  i.  l6.  The  unborn  child  was  to  be  "  set  apart 
for  God,"  unstained  by  sin,  and  destined  to  be 
the  Messiah.  Son  of  God  is  here  the  Messianic 
title  (cf.  iii.  22,  ix.  35;  Matt.  xvi.  l6  ;  Mark  xv. 
39 ;  see  R.V.  marg.). 

36.  cousin  is  too  definite,  the  word  means  only 


St.  Luke  i.  39-56 


49 


kinswoman  (R.V.).  This  does  not  prove  that  Mary 
was  of  LevitiCj  and  not  of  Davidic  descent^  as  the 
Levites  could  marry  into  other  tribes  ;  what  the 
relationship  was  we  know  not.  This  kinship  does 
not  warrant  the  pious  imagination  that  John  and 
Jesus  were  playfellows  ;  the  later  history  suggests 
that  they  had  little  if  any  mutual  acquaintance. 
Elisabeth's  conception  was  the  sign,  granted  un- 
asked, to  Mary. 

37.  R.V.,  "  For  no  word  from  God  shall  be  void 
of  power  "  (cf.  Isa.  Iv.  11);  or  more  probably,  "  From 
God  no  word  shall  be  impossible  "  (Plummer,  p.  26). 

38.  Behold.  Not  a  verb,  with  handmaid  as  object, 
but  an  exclamation,  lo  !  handmaid.  Gr.  "  bond- 
maid "  (so  ver.  48  ;  cf.  Acts  ii.  18).  be  it  untO  me 
according  to  thy  word.  Mary  neither  prayed  for 
the  fulfilment  of  the  promise,  nor  uttered  any  joy 
at  what  was  before  her,  but  yielded  to  God's 
will,  for  she  doubtless  foresaw  what  this  might 
involve  in  her  relation  to  Joseph.  She  was  con- 
tent to  leave  all  in  God's  hands.  As  doubtless 
she  kept  silence  to  Joseph,  dreading  to  be  dis- 
believed, the  dream  was  needed  by  him  that  he 
too  might  yield  himself  to  God's  will.  Divine 
grace,  received  in  human  faith  shown  by  sub- 
mission, was  the  appropriate  method  of  the  super- 
natural act  of  God  in  the  personality  of  Jesus. 

Luke  i.  39-56. 
THE  VISIT  OF  MARY  TO   ELISABETH. 

39  And  Mary  arose   in   those   days,  and  went  into  the   hill 

40  country  with  haste,  into  a  city  of  Juda  ;  and  entered  into 

41  the  house  of  Zacharias,  and   saluted   Elisabeth.     And  it 
came  to  pass,  that,  when  Elisabeth  heard  the  salutation 

4 


50  Westminster  New  Testament 

of  Mary,  the  babe  leaped  in  her  womb ;   and  Elisabeth 

42  was  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost :  and  she  spake  out  with  a 
loud  voice,  and  said.  Blessed  art  thou  among  women,  and 

43  blessed  is  the  fruit  of  thy  womb.     And  whence  is  this  to 

44  me,  that  the  mother  of  my  Lord  should  come  to  me  ?     For, 
lo,  as  soon  as  the  voice  of  thy  salutation  sounded  in  mine 

45  ears,  the  babe  leaped  in  my  womb  for  joy.     And  blessed 
is  she  that  believed  :  for  there  shall  be  a  performance  of 

46  those  things  which  were  told  her  from   the   Lord.     And 

47  Mary  said.    My   soul    doth    magnify   the  Lord,    and  my 

48  spirit   hath   rejoiced   in   God  my  Saviour.     For   he   hath 
regarded  the  low  estate  of  his  handmaiden  :  for,  behold, 

49  from  henceforth  all  generations  shall  call  me  blessed.     For 
he  that  is  mighty  hath  done  to  me  great  things  ;  and  holy 

50  is  his  name.     And  his  mercy  is  on  them  that  fear  him  from 

51  generation  to  generation.     He  hath  showed  strength  with 
his  arm ;  he  hath  scattered  the  proud  in  the  imagination 

52  of  their  hearts.     He  hath  put  down  the  mighty  from  their 

53  seats,  and  exalted  them  of  low  degree.     He  hath  filled  the 
hungry  with  good  things :  and  the  rich  he  hath  sent  empty 

54  away.     He  hath  holpen  his  servant  Israel,  in  remembrance 

55  of  his  mercy  ;   as  he  spake  to  our  fathers,  to  Abraham, 

56  and  to  his  seed  for  ever.     And  Mary  abode  with  her  about 
three  months,  and  returned  to  her  own  house. 

The  two  kinswomen,  each  with  her  token  of 
Divine  favour,  came  together.  Mary  was  prompted 
to  undertake  the  journey  by  the  angel's  significant 
intimation  about  EUsabeth  (ver.  36),  and  desirous, 
possibly,  of  wise  counsel  from  the  older  woman  in 
her  perplexity.  It  may  be  that  she  wanted  to 
escape  the  gossip  of  her  neighbours,  and  the  strain 
in  her  relation  to  Joseph  that  her  secret  would 
involve.  There  is  no  proof  that  Joseph  had  taken 
any  action,  or  shown  any  intention,  that  led  her 
to  undertake  this  journey.     The  psalm  of  praise. 


St.  Luke  i.  39-56  51 

generally  known  as  the  Magnificat^  is  less  likely  to 
have  been  her  spontaneous  utterance^  than  the 
Evangelist's  literary  expression  of  what  he  believed 
to  have  been  her  emotions  on  the  occasion, 

39.  a  city  of  Juda  (R.V.,  Judah).  Unnamed, 
because  unknown  to  Luke ;  not  Hebron,  chief  of 
the  cities  given  to  the  priests^  because  Luke  would 
have  either  mentioned  the  name,  or  called  it  the  city. 
While  it  is  possible,  it  is  not  probable  that  Juda  = 
Juttah  (Josh.  XV.  55,  xxi.  l6),  a  town  in  Judah,  and 
is  to  be  identified  with  the  modern  village  Yuttah. 

41.  the  salutation  of  Mary.  If  it  included  a 
statement  of  the  reason  of  her  visit,  then  Elisabeth's 
excitement,  the  consequent  movement  of  the  unborn 
babe,  and  her  song  of  praise  have  a  natural  ex- 
planation ;  but  if  it  did  not,  we  must  suppose  that 
Elisabeth  was  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God  to  the  true 
interpretation  of  this  sign,  the  movement  of  the 
babe,  leaped  (cf.  Gen.  xxv.  22).  There  is  no 
evidence  that  the  word  here  used  was,  as  Grotius 
states,  a  medical  term  to  describe  movements  in 
the  womb.  Luke  clearly  regards  the  whole  incident 
as  supernatural. 

42.  voice.  The  better  reading  is  "cry"  (R.V.). 
Luke  often  describes  strong  emotion  (ii.  10, 
iv.  33,  viii.  28,  xvii.  15,  xix.  37,  xxiii.  23,  46, 
xxiv.  52). 

42-45.  Elisabeth's  greeting  may  be  given  in 
metrical  form,  although  it  is  not  as  regularly  met- 
rical as  the  Magnificat,  Benedictus,  or  Nunc  Dimittis. 

''Blessed  art  thou  among  women, 
And  blessed  is  the  fruit  of  thy  womb. 

And  whence  is  this  to  me, 
That  the  mother  of  my  Lord  should  come  unto  me  ? 


52   Westminster  New  Testament 

For   behold,    when   the   voice   of  thy   salutation   came    into 
my  ears, 
The  babe  leaped  in  my  womb  for  joy. 
And   blessed    is   she    that    believed  :    for   there   shall    be    a 
fulfilment 
Of  the  things  which  have  been  spoken  to  her  from  the  Lord." 

42.  among  women.  More  than  other  women, 
fruit.   Cf.  Gen.  XXX.   2  ;  Lam.  ii.  20. 

43.  the  mother  of  my  Lord.  This  is  said  by 
inspiration,  anticipating  that  Jesus  would  prove  to 
be  the  Messiah :  the  phrase  does  not  warrant  the 
title  of  the  Virgin,  ^^  mother  of  God." 

45.  for.  The  Greek  word  may  also  be  rendered 
thaty  but  it  does  not  seem  necessary  to  state  what 
Mary  believed  ;  but  the  certainty  of  the  fulfilment 
is  the  reason  given  for  her  blessedness. 

46-56.  The  Magnificat.  While  Plummer  regards 
this  song  as  a  meditation  of  Mary,  into  which 
are  woven  ^^the  familiar  expressions  of  Jewish 
Scriptures "  (p.  30),  Harnack  treats  it  as  a  com- 
position of  Luke's,  showing  his  skill  in  combining 
Old  Testament  reminiscences  into  so  perfect  a 
unity  {Lukas  der  Artzt,  p.  151).  It  does  seem  too 
elaborate  a  composition  to  be  the  spontaneous 
expression  of  Mary's  mood,  although  it  would  be 
rash  to  affirm  that  one  thoroughly  familiar  with 
the  Old  Testament,  in  a  mood  of  such  exaltation, 
would  be  incapable  of  such  an  utterance.  The 
writer  himself  inclines  to  Harnack' s  view.  As 
Mary  spoke  Aramaic,  and  the  phrases  woven  into 
the  song  are  taken  from  the  Septuagint  (LXX), 
the  Greek  translation  of  the  Old  Testament,  it  is 
evident  that  Luke  must  at  least  have  translated 
from  an  Aramaic  document.     The  references  which 


St.  Luke  i.  39-56 


53 


are  given  at  each  verse  are  to  the  LXX  text,  which 
does  not  always  correspond  with  the  Hebrew  text 
translated  in  our  English  Bible.  It  would  be  im- 
possible without  greater  detail  than  the  limits  of 
this  commentary  allow  to  bring  out  fully  the  close 
correspondence. 

I. 

46  My  soul  doth  magnify  the  Lord, 

47  And  my  spirit  hath  rejoiced  in  God  my  Saviour,     (i  Sam. 

ii.  I.) 

48  For  he  hath  regarded  the  low  estate  of  his  handmaiden  : 

(i  Sam.  i.  II.) 
For,   behold,    from   henceforth   all   generations   shall  call 
me  blessed.     (Gen.  xxx.  13.) 

II. 

49  For  he   that  is  mighty  hath   done  to   me   great   things; 

(Deut.  X.  21.) 
__  And  holy  is  his  name.     (Ps.  cxi.  9.) 

50  And  his  mercy  is  from  generation  to  generation 
On  them  that  fear  him.     (Ps.  ciii.  17.) 

III. 

51  He  hath  shewed  strength  with  his  arm  ; 

He  hath  scattered  the  proud  in  the  imagination  of  their 
hearts.     (Ps.  Ixxxix.  10.) 

52  He  hath  put  down  the  mighty  from  their  seats. 

And  exalted  them  of  low  degree.     (Job  xii.  19,  v.  11.) 

53  He  hath  filled  the  hungry  with  good  things  ; 

And  the  rich  he  hath  sent  empty  away.     (l   Sam.   ii.    7  ; 
Ps.  cvii.  9  ;  and  Job  xii.  19.) 

IV. 

54  He  hath  holpen  his  servant  Israel,     (Isa.  xii.  8.) 
In  remembrance  of  his  mercy  ;     (Ps.  xcviii.  3.) 

55  As  he  spake  to  our  fathers,     (Mic.  vii.  20.) 

To  Abraham,  and  to  his  seed  for  ever.     (2  Sam.  xxii.  51.) 


54  Westminster  New  Testament 

46,  47.  soul ;  spirit.  There  is  no  distinction 
between  the  two  terms.  We  have  here  an  in- 
stance of  Hebrew  paralleUsm,  the  repetition  of  the 
same  thought  in  sUghtly  different  language.  God 
my  Saviour.  Political  deliverance  is  probably 
included  as  well  as  spiritual  salvation  (cf.  Ps. 
xxiii.  5,  cvi.  21 ;  1  Tim.  i.  1,  ii.  3 ;  Tit.  i.  3,  ii.  10, 
iii.  4  ;  Jude  25). 

48.  low  estate.  "  Humiliation/'  as  in  Acts  viii. 
33  (quoting  Isa.  liii.  8),  and  Phil.  iii.  21. 

50.  fear  him.  This  is  the  characteristic  of  Old 
Testament  piety. 

51-53.  The  future  results  of  the  Messianic  age 
are  described  as  already  accomplished  facts,  arm. 
Symbol  of  the  divine  power  (cf.  Acts  xiii.  1 7  ;  John 
xii.  38  ;  Ps.  xliv.  3,  xcviii.  1  ;  Deut.  iv.  34,  "  a  mighty 
hand  and  a  stretched-out  arm  ").  This  anthropo- 
morphism marks  all  intense  religious  thought, 
mighty.  R.V.,  "  princes/'  potentates  (Plummer ; 
cf.  1  Tim.  vi.  1 5).  low  degree.  "  The  oppressed 
poor."  Verse  53  may  refer  to  spiritual  as  well  as 
material  blessings  (cf  vi.  20-26 ;  Matt.  v.  3-6). 
Jesus  regarded  poverty  as  advantageous,  and 
riches  as  perilous,  to  the  soul. 

54.  holpen.  "  Laid  hold  of  in  order  to  support 
or  succour"  (cf  Acts  xx.  35).  servant.  Cf.  Isa. 
xli.  8,  and  so  frequently  in  the  following  chapters, 
in  remembrance  of  his  mercy.  R.V.,  "that 
He  might  remember  mercy,"  in  proof  that,  con- 
trary to  appearances.  He  was  not  forgetful  of  His 
relation  of  grace. 

55.  The  R.V.  puts  "  As  he  spake  unto  our 
fathers  "  in  brackets  as  a  parenthesis,  so  as  to  connect 

toward  Abraham,  etc.,  directly  with  remember 
mercy,  and  not  make  it  dependent,  as  the  A.V. 


St.  Luke  i.  57-80  55 

does,  on  spake.  This  is  the  correct  interpreta- 
tion, but  the  parenthesis  seems  unnecessary,  as 
the  clause,  as  it  were,  gives  the  measure  of  God's 
remembrance  of  His  mercy,  for  ever.  Gr.  "  unto 
the  age,"  that  is,  the  Messianic  age,  the  fulfilment 
of  all  God's  promises,  the  goal  of  the  course  of  the 
people's  history. 

56.  three  months,  added  to  the  six  months  of 
ver.  26,  brings  us  to  the  time  of  John's  birth,  for 
which  probably  Mary  did  wait  with  Elisabeth. 
Luke  does  not  state  this  definitely,  as  he  possibly 
did  not  know. 

Luke  i.  57-80. 

THE  BIRTH  AND  NAMING  OF  JOHN  THE 
BAPTIST. 

57  Now   Elisabeth's    full  time    came    that    she    should    be 

58  delivered  ;  and  she  brought  forth  a  son.  And  her  neigh- 
bours and  her  cousins  heard  how  the  Lord  had  shewed 

59  great  mercy  upon  her  ;  and  they  rejoiced  with  her.  And  it 
came  to  pass,  that  on  the  eighth  day  they  came  to  circumcise 
the  child  ;  and  they  called  him  Zacharias,  after  the  name 

60  of  his  father.     And  his  mother  answered  and  said,  Not  so  ; 

61  but  he  shall  be  called  John.  And  they  said  unto  her, 
There  is  none  of  thy  kindred  that  is  called  by  this  name. 

62  And  they  made  signs  to  his  father,  how  he  would  have  him 

63  called.     And   he   asked  for  a  writing   table,  and  wrote, 

64  saying,  His  name  is  John.  And  they  marvelled  all.  And 
his  mouth  was  opened  immediately,  and  his  tongue  loosed, 

65  and  he  spake,  and  praised  God.  And  fear  came  on  all 
that  dwelt  round  about  them  :  and  all  these  sayings  were 
noised  abroad  throughout   all   the  hill  country  of  Judsea, 

66  And  all  they  that  heard  them  laid  them  up  in  their  hearts, 
saying.  What  manner  of  child  shall  this  be  !     And  the  hand 

67  of  the  Lord  was  with  him.     And  his  father  Zacharias  was 


56   Westminster  New  Testament 

filled    with    the    Holy   Ghost,   and    prophesied,    saying, 

68  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God  of  Israel ;   for  he  hath  visited 

69  and  redeemed   his  people,  and  hath  raised   up  an  horn 

70  of  salvation  for  us  in  the  house  of  his  servant  David  ;  as  he 
spake  by  the  mouth  of  his  holy  prophets,  which  have  been 

7 1  since  the   world   began :  that  we  should   be   saved  from 

72  our  enemies,  and  from  the  hand  of  all  that  hate  us ;  to 
perform   the   mercy  promised   to   our  fathers,  and  to  re- 

73  member  his  holy  covenant ;  the  oath  which  he  sware  to 

74  our  father  Abraham,  that  he  would  grant  unto  us,  that 
we  being  delivered  out  of  the  hand  of  our  enemies  might 

75  serve   him   without  fear,    in  holiness    and    righteousness 

76  before  him,  all  the  days  of  our  life.  And  thou,  child,  shalt 
be  called  the  prophet  of  the  Highest :  for  thou  shalt  go 

77  before  the  face  of  the  Lord  to  prepare  his  ways  ;  to  give 
knowledge  of  salvation  unto  his  people  by  the  remission 

78  of  their   sins,    through   the   tender  mercy  of    our   God  ; 

79  whereby  the  dayspring  from  on  high  hath  visited  us,  to 
give  light  to  them  that  sit  in  darkness  and  in  the  shadow 

80  of  death,  to  guide  our  feet  into  the  way  of  peace.  And  the 
child  grew,  and  waxed  strong  in  spirit,  and  was  in  the 
deserts  till  the  day  of  his  shewing  unto  Israel. 

57.  full  time  came.  Better  R.V.,  "  time  was/w?- 
Jilled  "  (cf.  ver.  23,  ii.  6,  21,  22),  an  idea  characteristic 

of  this  Story  of  the  Infancy. 

58.  shewed  great  mercy.  Gr.  "magnified 
his  mercy  "  (R.V.),  not  quite  in  the  sense  of  ver.  46, 
but  rather  "made  conspicuous"  (cf.  Gen.  xix.  19). 
rejoiced.  The  promise  of  ver.  14  begins  to  be 
fulfilled. 

59.  circumcise.  Any  one,  even  a  woman, 
might  anywhere  perform  this  symbol  of  the 
national  covenant  (cf.  Ex.  iv.  25).  called  ex- 
presses, not  a  wish,  but  a  fact,  for  it  was  taken 
for  granted  that,  according  to  common  custom,  he 


St.  Luke  i.  57-80 


57 


would  bear  his  father's  name.  The  change  of 
Abram's  name  to  Abraham  at  his  circumcision 
was  probably  the  reason  why  circumcision  and 
naming  went  together. 

60.  Zacharias  had  probably  let  her  know  some- 
thing of  his  vision  by  means  of  writing. 

62.  made  signs.  Was  Zacharias  deaf  as  well 
as  dumb  ? 

63.  asked.  By  signs,  writing  table.  A  tablet 
covered  with  wax,  in  which  the  letters  were  graven 
by  a  stylus,  a  sharp  instrument.  His  name  is 
John.  It  is  not  a  question  for  human  discussion, 
it  is  a  fact  of  Divine  appointment,  marvelled. 
Either  at  his  agreement  with  his  wife,  assuming 
his  deafness,  or  at  his  decision,  assuming  that  he 
had  heard  their  discussion. 

64.  The  sign,  now  the  promise  was  fulfilled,  was 
withdrawn ;  the  use  he  makes  of  his  recovered 
powers  of  speech  shows  that  the  punishment  had 
proved  a  blessing,  loosed.  There  is  no  verb  in 
Greek  to  correspond,  as  tongue,  by  the  figure  called 
zeugma,  goes  with  the  same  verb  as  mouth,  although 
opened  is  less  appropriate  for  the  one  than  the 
other,  spake  and  praised.  R.V.,  "spake  bless- 
ing." Is  the  Benedictus  of  vers.  68-79  what  he 
spake  now,  or  an  utterance  of  a  later  time  ?  The 
use  of  prophesied  in  ver.  67  proves  nothing  either 
way. 

Qa.  fear.  Awe  at  the  wonder  and  strangeness  of 
these  events,  sayings.  Marg.,  "things,"  not  only 
the  words  spoken,  but  the  events  also. 

6Q.  the  hand  of  the  Lord.  God's  presence 
with  John  in  blessing  continued  beyond  the 
circumstances  of  his  birth. 

67-79.   The    Benedictus.      This    song,   like    the 


58  Westminster  New  Testament 

Magnificat,  may  be  regarded  either  as  the  inspired 
utterance  of  Zacharias,  or  as  a  literary  composi- 
tion of  the  Evangelist.  Plummer  takes  the  former, 
Harnack  the  latter  view.  Harnack  points  out 
that  there  are  important  resemblances  between 
the  Magnificat  and  the  Benedictus,  but  that  the 
Benedicttis  has  been  more  artistically  composed 
than  the  Magnificat  {op.  cit.  p.  151).  ^^As  the 
Magnificat,"  says  Plummer,  "is  modelled  on  the 
Psalms,  so  the  Benedictus  is  modelled  on  the 
prophecies,  and  it  has  been  called  'the  last 
prophecy  of  the  Old  Dispensation  and  the  first 
in  the  New.'  And  while  the  tone  of  the 
Magnificat  is  regal,  that  of  the  Benedictus  is 
sacerdotal.  The  one  is  as  appropriate  to  the 
daughter  of  David  as  the  other  to  the  son  of 
Aaron"  (pp.  38,  39).  The  writer's  own  judgment 
inclines  more  to  that  of  Harnack.  The  close 
correspondence  is  not  with  the  Hebrew  text  trans- 
lated in  the  English  Bible,  but  the  Septuagint. 
There  is  a  break  at  ver.  75,  and  thus  the  song 
has  two  parts. 

PA^T  L 

I. 

68  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God  of  Israel ;     (Ps.  xci.  14,  Ixxii.  18, 

cvi.  48.) 
For  he  hath  visited  and  redeemed  his  people,     (Ps.  cxi.  9.) 

69  And  hath  raised  up  an  horn   of  salvation  for   us     (Ps. 

cxxxii.  17,  xviii.  3.) 
In  the  house  of  his  servant  David  ;     (i  Sam.  ii.  10  ;  Ezek. 
xxix.  21.) 

II. 

70  As  he  spake  by  the  mouth  of  his  holy  prophets,  which  have 

been  since  the  world  began  : 


St.  Luke  i.  57-80  59 

71  That  we  should  be  saved  from  our  enemies,  and  from  the 

hand  of  all  that  hate  us  ;     (Ps.  cvi.  lo;  cf.  xviii.  l8.) 

72  To  perform  the  mercy  promised  to  our  fathers, 
And  to  remember  his  holy  covenant ; 

III. 

73  The  oath  which  he  sware  to  our  father  Abraham, 

74  That  he  would  grant  unto  us,  that  we  being  delivered  out 

of  the  hand  of  our  enemies 
Might  serve  him  without  fear, 

75  In  holiness  and  righteousness  before  him,  all  the  days  of 

our  life.  (Vers.  72-75 : — Mic.  vii.  20 ;  Ps.  cv.  8, 
cvi.  45  ;  Ex.  ii.  24 ;  Lev.  xxvi.  42  ;  Jer.  xi.  5  ;  Ps. 
xviii.  18;  Jer.  xxxii.  39.) 

PART   II. 

I. 

76  And  thou,  child,  shalt  be  called  the  prophet  of  the  Highest : 
For  thou  shalt  go  before  the  face  of  the  Lord  to  prepare 

his  ways ; 

77  To  give  knowledge  of  salvation  unto  his  people 

By  the  remission  of  their  sins,    (Vers.  76-77  : — Mai.  iii.  i ; 
Isa.  xl.  3  ;  Deut.  xxxi.  3;  Jer.  xxxi.  34.) 

II. 

78  Through  the  tender  mercy  of  our  God  ; 

Whereby   the   day-spring   from    on  high  hath  visited   us, 

79  To  give  light   to   them   that  sit  in   darkness  and  in  the 

shadow  of  death. 
To  guide  our  feet  into  the  way  of  peace.     (Vers.  78,  79  • — 
Ps.  cvii.  10,  xl.  3.) 

67.  prophesied.  Not  prediction  merely,  but 
proclamation  of  God's  mind  and  will.  Not 
parental  affection,  or  vanity,  but  Divine  inspiration 
assigns  to  the  son  this  place  in  the  fulfilment  of 
God's  purpose. 


6o  Westminster  New  Testament 

68.  Lord  God  of  Israel.  Better  R.V.,  "the 
Lordj  the  God  of  Israel."  Lord  is  the  substitute  of 
Jehovah,  the  covenant  name,  redeemed.  Tem- 
porally as  well  as  morally  and  spiritually. 

69.  an  horn  of  salvation.  This  figure,  taken 
from  the  horns  of  animals,  especially  bulls,  expresses 
strength  (cf.  1  Sam.  ii.  10 ;  2  Sam.  xxii.  3 ;  Ps. 
Ixxv.  5).  The  meaning  is  brought  out  in  Ps.  xviii.  2, 
where  God  is  described  as  "  the  horn  of  my 
salvation,"  as  well  as  "my  strong  rock,  my  shield, 
my  high  tower." 

70.  This  is  treated  in  R.V.  as  a  parenthesis  ;  and 
so  Harnack  regards  it,  and  describes  it  as  "quite 
Lucan"  ;  but  Plummer  denies  this,  and  states  that 
it  "  determines  the  preceding  statement  more 
exactly."  since  the  world  began.  Gr.  "from 
the  age,"  that  is,  "  from  of  old."  He  does  not  mean 
that  the  succession  of  prophets  began  at  the 
Creation. 

71 .  This  expands  the  phrase  "'  horn  of  salvation  " 
in  ver.  69.  enemies  refers  to  the  same  class  as 
all  that  hate  us,  i.e.  the  Gentiles,  whose  rule 
over  God's  chosen  people  was  so  great  a  trial  to 
faith.  Here  the  political  and  national  aspect  of 
the  expected  Messianic  salvation  is  prominent. 

72.  The  aim  of  the  deliverance  is  the  display 
of  God's  mercy  and  faithfulness.  promised 
should  be  omitted,  as  in  R.V.  The  mercy  is  shown 
to  the  fathers,  who  are  supposed  to  be  still  interested 
in,  and  capable  of  sharing  the  experience  of,  their 
descendants,  covenant.  Cf.  Lev.  xxvi.  42  and 
Heb.  xi.  15,  I6. 

73.  oath  (cf.  Gen.  xxii.  I6  and  xxvi.  3)  is  in 
apposition  with  covenant. 

74«.  This   may  give   either   the  context  of  the 


St.  Luke  i.  57-80  61 

oath  (cf.  Gen.  xxii.  17,  "thy  seed  shall  possess 
the  gate  of  his  enemies  ")  or  explain  ver.  72,  the 
effect  of  God's  performance  of  His  mercy  and 
remembrance  of  His  covenant,  or  with  ver.  72 
expound  the  purpose  of  the  salvation.  The  first 
is  the  most  probable,  and  the  last  the  least. 
serve  (cf  Ex.  iii.  12).  It  is  priestly  service  that 
is  meant.     A  free  can  be  a  consecrated  people. 

75.  holiness  and  righteousness.  A  common 
combination,  probably  found  first  in  Wisd.  ix.  3 
(cf.  Eph.  iv.  24). 

76.  The  second  part,  referring  more  directly  to 
the  work  of  John  himself,  begins  here.  and. 
R.  v., "  yea  and. "  go  before  the  face  of  the  Lord 
(cf.  Deut.  xxxi.  3).  Lord  is  here  Jehovah,  who 
comes  to  His  people  in  His  Messiah  tO  prepare 
his  ways  (cf.  Mark  i.  2,  3,  and  his  quotations 
from  Mai.  iii.  1  and  Isa.  xl.  3  in  describing  the 
work  of  the  Forerunner). 

77.  This  describes  the  preparation.  The  Fore- 
runner announces  the  salvation  which  is  close  at 
hand.  The  salvation  consists  in  the  forgiveness 
of  sins  (Acts  v.  31);  or  the  knowledge  of  salvation 
is  given  by  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  but  the 
knowledge  of  salvation  is  not  equivalent  to  the 
forgiveness  of  sins. 

78.  This  task  will  be  done  because  of  God's 
tender  mercy  (literally  as  in  margin,  "bowels  of 
the  mercy,"  the  bowels  being  in  the  ancient 
psychology  the  seat  of  the  emotions,  as  is  the 
heart  in  popular  language  to-day).  the  day- 
Spring  from  on  high.  Literally,  "  rising  from  on 
high,"  either  of  the  sun  (Rev.  vii.  2,  xvi.  12)  or  of 
stars ;  the  heavenly  body  is  itself  meant  (cf.  Isa. 
Ix.  1  and  Mai.  iv.  2). 


62   Westminster  New  Testament 

79.  to  give  light  to.  Better  R.V.,  ^' to  shine 
upon."  The  clauses  them  that  sit  in  darkness 
(Isa.  xHi.  7)  and  in  the  shadow  of  death  (Isa. 
ix.  2)  are  joined  together  here  as  in  Ps.  cvii.  10. 
to  guide.  In  the  darkness  men  fear  to  go  about, 
but  in  the  light  they  can  move  freely  (cf.  John  ix. 
4).  way  of  peace.  The  way  that  leads  to  peace 
between  God  and  man  (Ps.  xxix.  11 ;  Jer.  xiv.  13). 

80.  deserts.  He  lived  a  solitary,  ascetic  life 
in  uninhabited  parts,  and  not  in  towns  or  villages. 
His  life  was  a  contrast  to  that  of  Jesus  (cf.  Matt, 
xi.  18,  19).  With  some  outward  resemblance  in 
his  manner  of  life  to  the  Essenes,  he  was  separated 
from  them  by  his  expectation  of  the  near  approach 
of  the  Kingdom,  and  his  insistence  on  social 
righteousness  in  the  spirit  of  the  ancient  prophets, 
the  day  of  his  shewing  unto  Israel.  The 
word  translated  "shewing"  is  found  only  here  in 
the  N.T. ;  it  means  an  inauguration  in  an  office  or 
a  dedication  of  a  temple.  When  the  hour  came 
John  himself  entered  on  his  public  ministry  (iii.  3). 

Luke  ii.  1-20. 

THE  BIRTH  OF  JESUS,  THE  SONG  OF  THE 
ANGELS,  THE  VISIT  OF  THE  SHEP- 
HERDS. 

And  it  came  to  pass  in  those  days,  that  there  went  out  a 
decree  from  Caesar  Augustus,  that  all  the  world  should  be 

2  taxed.     (And   this  taxing  was  first  made  when  Cyrenius 

3  was  governor  of  Syria. )     And  all  went  to  be  taxed,  every 

4  one  into  his  own  city.  And  Joseph  also  went  up  from 
Galilee,  out  of  the  city  of  Nazareth,  into  Judaea,  unto  the 
city  of  David,  which  is  called  Bethlehem  ,*  (because  he  was 

5  of  the   house  and   lineage  of  David  ;)   to  be  taxed  with 


St.  Luke  ii.  1-20  63 

6  Mary  his  espoused  wife,  being  great  with  child.  And  so 
it  was,  that,  while  they  were  there,  the  days  were  accom- 

7  plished  that  she  should  be  delivered.  And  she  brought 
forth  her  firstborn  son,  and  wrapped  him  in  swaddling 
clothes,  and  laid  him  in  a  manger  ;  because  there  was  no 

8  room  for  them  in  the  inn.  And  there  were  in  the  same 
country  shepherds  abiding  in  the  field,  keeping  watch  over 

9  their  flock  by  night.  And,  lo,  the  angel  of  the  Lord  came 
upon  them,  and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  shone  round  about 

10  them  :  and  they  were  sore  afraid.  And  the  angel  said 
unto  them.  Fear  not  :  for,  behold,  I  bring  you  good  tidings 

11  of  great  joy,  which  shall  be  to  all  people.  For  unto  you 
is  born  this  day  in  the  city  of  David  a  Saviour,  which  is 

12  Christ  the  Lord.  And  this  shall  be  a  sign  unto  you  ;  Ye 
shall  find  the  babe  wrapped  in  swaddling  clothes,  lying  in 

13  a  manger.  And  suddenly  there  was  with  the  angel  a 
multitude  of  the  heavenly  host  praising  God,  and  saying, 

14  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and  on  earth  peace,  good  will 

15  toward  men.  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  the  angels  were  gone 
away  from  them  into  heaven,  the  shepherds  said  one  to 
another.  Let  us  now  go  even  unto  Bethlehem,  and  see  this 
thing  which  is  come  to  pass,  which  the  Lord  hath  made 

16  known  unto  us.     And  they  came  with   haste,  and  found 

17  Mary,  and  Joseph,  and  the  babe  lying  in  a  manger.  And 
when  they  had  seen  it,  they  made  known  abroad  the  saying 

18  which  was  told  them  concerning  this  child.  And  all  they 
that  heard  it  wondered  at  those  things  which  were  told 

19  them  by  the  shepherds.     But  Mary  kept  all  these  things, 

20  and  pondered  them  in  her  heart.  And  the  shepherds 
returned,  glorifying  and  praising  God  for  all  the  things 
that  they  had  heard  and  seen,  as  it  was  told  unto  them. 

Luke  here  has  the  same  informant^  or  uses  the 
same  document^,  as  in  the  previous  sections.  The 
Hebraisms  are  still  as  marked,  but  the  character- 
istics of  Luke's  own  style  are  not  absent.  The 
reason  given  for  the  birth  of  Jesus  in  Bethlehem 


64   Westminster  New  Testament 

has  been  challenged  by  some  scholars  as  an  historical 
blunder^  but  it  has  been  defended  by  others,  not 
less  eminent,  as  one  of  many  evidences  of  the 
historical  accuracy  of  Luke.  The  question  cannot 
be  discussed  here,  but  the  reader  may  be  referred 
to  Sir  Wm.  Ramsay's  Was  Christ  bom  in  Bethlehem  ? 
and  to  the  articles  on  Cyrenius  in  the  Bible 
Dictionaries.  The  story  in  this  section  falls  into 
three  parts  :  the  birth  of  Jesus  (vers.  1-7),  the  song 
of  the  angels  (8-14),  the  visit  of  the  shepherds 
(15-20). 

1.  the  world.  Gr.  '^^the  inhabited  earth";  a 
hyperbole,  as  the  Roman  Empire  was  not  world- 
vv^ide.  taxed.  A.V.  margin,  "inrolled,"  R.V., 
"enrolled."  '^^The  verb  refers  to  the  ivriting  off, 
copying,  or  entering  the  names,  professions,  fortunes, 
and  families  of  subjects  in  the  public  register, 
generally  with  a  view  to  taxation."  This  enrol- 
ment corresponded  in  character,  but  not  in  purpose, 
with  our  census.  While  no  direct  evidence  of 
such  a  census  exists,  it  is  not  improbable,  but  it 
was  not  necessarily  simultaneous  throughout  the 
Empire,  as  Luke  seems  to  assume.  Herod,  though 
nominally  independent  as  regards  the  taxation  of 
his  subjects,  would  not  have  resisted  such  an 
inquiry  if  held  necessary  for  imperial  purposes,  j 

2.  R.V.,  "This  was  the  first  enrolment  made 
when  Quirinius  was  governor  of  Sj^ria."  This 
census  is  distinguished  as  the  first,  from  that  made 
in  A.D.  6  or  7.  While  we  have  evidence  that 
Quirinius  was  governor  of  Syria  at  the  later 
date,  it  is  altogether  uncertain  whether  he  was  at 
the  earlier  or  not.  If  he  was  not,  Luke  has  made 
a  mistake ;  but  such  an  error  does  not  v/arrant  the 
further   assumption    that    he   was   wrong    in    his 


St.  Luke  ii.  1-20  65 

statement  that  a  census  did  take  place  both  at  the 
earUer  and  the  later  date.  The  second  census  he 
himself  mentions  in  Acts  v.  37.  governor.  The 
Greek  word  is  indefinite,  and  may  mean  that 
Quirinius  was  not  legate  in  4  b.c.  as  he  was  in  6  a.d., 
but  procurator  (as  Justin  states  in  his  Apology,  i.  34), 
while  Varus  was  legate.  He  may  be  mentioned 
here  as  the  officer  specially  charged  with  the 
business. 

3.  Jewish,  and  not  Roman,  custom  required 
this,  but  probably  the  Roman  government  was 
willing  thus  to  meet  the  preferences  of  its 
subjects. 

4.  went  up  (cf.  ver.  42,  xviii.  31,  xix.  28  ; 
Acts  xi.  2).  At  many  English  stations  the  plat- 
form for  London  trains  is  the  up  platform,  the 
city  of  David.  In  O.T.  this  description  is 
applied  to  Zion  (2  Sam.  v.  7,  9  ;  1  Chron.  xi.  5,  7). 
In  John  vii.  42,  Bethlehem,  which  was  about 
six  miles  from  Jerusalem,  is  described  as  ''  the 
village  where  David  was."  The  name  means 
'^^  house  of  bread,"  and  it  is  now  called  Bait  Lahn. 

5.  with  Mary.  This  goes  with  "went  up,"  and 
not  "  taxed."  It  was  not  necessary  that  she  should 
be  enrolled  with  him,  but  in  her  condition  she 
would  not  wish  to  be  separated  from  her  husband, 
wife  is  omitted  in  R.V.,  as  it  is  a  gloss  ;  but  a 
correct  one,  for  had  she  not  been  married  to 
Joseph,  she  could  not  have  travelled  with  him. 
Luke  omits  the  word  to  convey  that  she  was  not 
Joseph's  wife  de facto  (cf.  Matt.  i.  25),  without 
denying  that  she  was  so  de  jure. 

7.  first-born  son.  This  means  that  she  had 
other  children  after  Jesus ;  and  it  is  only  a  false 
asceticism  that  tries  with  much  ingenuity  to  evade 


66  Westminster  New  Testament 

the  fact,  manger.  The  cattle  were  probably 
out  to  pasture^  and  so  the  stable  was  unused. 
inn.  The  Greek  word  is  less  definite  than  the 
English,  and  might  mean  a  friend's  house,  the 
guest-chamber  of  which  was  occupied  by  another 
family  on  the  same  errand.  Legend  made  the 
inn  a  cave,  possibly  the  prophecy  of  Isa.  xxxiii.  l6 
turned  into  history.  Other  conjectures  need  not 
be  mentioned. 

8.  shepherds.  Edersheim  mentions  three  facts 
of  interest :  (1)  That  these  flocks  were  intended  for 
sacrifice  in  the  temple,  and  so  their  guardians  were 
not  ordinary  shepherds ;  (2)  that  the  ordinary 
shepherds,  owing  to  their  calling,  were  not  able  to 
keep  the  Law  strictly,  and  so  rested  under  the 
disfavour  of  the  scribes  ;  (3)  that  "  these  flocks  lay 
out  all  the  year  round."  abiding  in  the  field. 
This  does  not  necessarily  exclude  December  as  the 
month  of  Jesus'  birth  ;  but  the  date  25th  December 
cannot  be  traced  further  back  than  the  fourth 
century.  History  gives  us  no  data  to  fix  the  season. 
watch  ...  by  night.  Better  as  marg.,  "  keeping 
the  night  watches."     They  would  do  this  in  turn. 

9-  came  upon.  The  context,  not  the  word 
itself,  suggests  suddenness ;  in  classical  Greek  the 
word  is  used  of  the  appearing  of  heavenly  beings, 
dreams,  etc.  glory  of  the  Lord.  The  Shekinah, 
the  brightness  which  is  the  sign  of  God's  presence 
(cf.  Ex.  xvi.  7,  xxiv.  17 ;  2  Cor.  iii.  8). 

10.  bring  good  tidings.  Gr.  "evangelise." 
all  people.  Not  mankind,  but  all  the  people,  the 
whole  nation  of  Israel. 

11.  you.  The  shepherds,  though  despised  (see 
above),  are  part  of  the  people.  Saviour.  First  use 
of  the  word  in  N.T.,  and  only  use  in  Luke  (cf.  Matt. 


St.  Luke  ii.  1-20  67 

i.  21).  Christ  the  Lord.  R.V.  marg.,  "Anointed 
Lord."  This  combination  is  not  found  elsewhere 
in  the  N.T.  ;  it  occurs  as  a  mistranslation  in  LXX 
(Lam.  iv.  20),  and  is  found  also  either  as  mis- 
translation, or  as  borrowed  from  the  above,  in 
Psalms  of  Solomon  (xvii.  S6).  The  Divine  title  is 
either  given  to  the  Messiah,  or  Lord  is  used  in 
such  a  sense,  and  Christ  is  an  epithet  =  Anointed. 

12.  sign.  The  discovery  of  the  Child  in  so 
unusual  surroundings  would  confirm  the  truth  of 
the  good  news. 

13.  a  multitude.  While  part  only  of  the 
heavenly  host  was  visible,  the  whole  was  engaged 
in  the  praise. 

14.  There  are  three  corresponding  terms  in  each 
of  the  two  parts  of  the  angels'  song  joined  by  the 
conjunction,  which  may  be  thus  shown  : — 

**  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest ^ 
And  on  earth  peace  among  men  of  His  good  will." 

This  is  better  than  the  A.V.,  which  gives  the  song 
in  three  parts  : — 

"  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest, 
And  on  earth  peace, 
Good  will  toward  men." 

There  is  only  one  letter  of  difference  in  the 
Greek  between  the  two  readings.  The  phrase 
"men  of  good  will"  is  difficult,  but  the  R.V.  para- 
phrases it  correctly,  "  men  in  whom  He  is  well 
pleased  "  ;  perhaps  the  idea  of  intention  implied 
would  be  better  brought  out  by  a  rendering  "  men 
of  His!  gracious  purpose,"  or  "  of  His  counsel  for 
good." 


68    Westminster  New  Testament 

17.  made  known  abroad.  Not  to  Mary  and 
Joseph  alone,  but  in  Bethlehem  and  the  country 
around. 

20.  glorifying.  A  more  general  term  than 
j)raising  (cf.  John  xvii.  4 ;  Acts  iii.  13).  The 
reticence  and  simplicity  of  the  story  is  surely  a 
guarantee  of  its  truth. 


Luke  ii.  21-39. 

THE  CIRCUMCISION  AND  THE 
PRESENTATION. 

21  And  when  eight  days  were  accomplished  for  the  circum- 
cising of  the  child,  his  name  was  called  Jesus,  which 
was  so  named  of  the  angel  before  he  was  conceived  iji  the 

22  womb.  And  when  the  days  of  her  purification  according 
to  the  law  of  Moses  were  accomplished,  they  brought  him 

23  to  Jerusalem,  to  present  him  to  the  Lord  ;  (as  it  is  written 
in  the  law  of  the  Lord,  Every  male  that  openeth  the  womb 

24  shall  be  called  holy  to  the  Lord  ; )  and  to  offer  a  sacrifice 
according  to  that  which  is  said  in  the  law  of  the  Lord,  A 

25  pair  of  turtledoves,  or  two  young  pigeons.  And,  behold, 
there  was  a  man  in  Jerusalem,  whose  name  was  Simeon  ; 
and  the  same  man  was  just  and  devout,  waiting  for  the 
consolation  of  Israel  :  and  the  Holy  Ghost  was  upon  him. 

26  And  it  was  revealed  unto  him  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  he 
should  not  see  death,  before  he  had  seen  the  Lord's  Christ. 

27  And  he  came  by  the  Spirit  into  the  temple  :  and  when  the 
parents  brought  in  the  child  Jesus,  to  do  for  him  after  the 

28  custom  of  the  law,  then  took  he  him  up  in  his  arms,  and 

29  blessed  God,  and  said.  Lord,  now  lettest  thou  thy  servant 

30  depart  in  peace,  according  to  thy  word  :  for  mine  eyes  have 

31  seen  thy  salvation,  which  thou  hast  prepared  before  the  face 

32  of  all  people  ;  a  light  to  lighten  the  Gentiles,  and  the  glory 

33  of  thy  people  Israel.    And  Joseph  and  his  mother  marvelled 


St.  Luke  ii.  21-39  ^9 

34  at  those  things  which  were  spoken  of  him.  And  Simeon 
blessed  them,  and  said  unto  Mary  his  mother,  Behold,  this 
child  is  set  for  the  fall  and  rising  again  of  many  in  Israel ; 

35  and  for  a  sign  which  shall  be  spoken  against ;  {yea,  a 
sword  shall  pierce  through    thy  own  soul   also,)  that  the 

36  thoughts  of  many  hearts  may  be  revealed.  And  there  was 
one  Anna,  a  prophetess,  the  daughter  of  Phanuel,  of  the 
tribe  of  Aser  :  she  was  of  a  great  age,  and  had  lived  with 

37  an  husband  seven  years  from  her  virginity  ;  and  she  was  a 
widow  of  about  fourscore  and  four  years,  which  departed 
not  from  the   temple,  but  served   God  with  fastings  and 

38  prayers  night  and  day.  And  she  coming  in  that  instant 
gave  thanks  likewise  unto  the  Lord,  and  spake  of  him  to 

39  all  them  that  looked  for  redemption  in  Jerusalem.  And 
when  they  had  performed  all  things  according  to  the  law 
of  the  Lord,  they  returned  into  Galilee,  to  their  own  city 
Nazareth. 

21.  eight    days.  Cf.   Gen.    xvii.    12.    Jesus 

(cf.  i.  31  ;  Matt.  i.  21).  Jesus  was  circumcised  as 
"born  under  the  law"  (Gal.  iv.  4)  and  in  this  was 
"made  like  unto  His  brethren"  (Heb.  ii.  17). 

22.  her.  R.V.  correctly  has  the  reading  "  their/' 
which  was  altered  probably  for  two  reasons  ; 
(1)  that  the  Child  did  not  need  purifying  according 
to  Jewish  law  (Lev.  xii.) ;  and  (2)  that  Christian 
feeling  shrank  from  even  the  suggestion  that  Jesus 
as  a  babe  needed  purifying.  "Their"  does  not 
refer,  however,  to  the  mother  and  the  babe  ;  to 
correspond  with  the  following  "  they  "  it  must  mean 
Mary  and  Joseph.  After  a  son's  birth  a  mother's 
uncleanness  lasted  eight  days,  but  she  did  not 
leave  home  till  the  fortieth  to  make  her  offering. 
brought  him  (R.V.,  "up"  ;  cf.  ii.  4).  This  journey 
to  Jerusalem  must  have  taken  place  before  the 
visit  of  the  wise  men  (Matt.  ii.   11),  as  it   is  not 


70   Westminster  New  Testament 

likely  that  after  it  so  great  a  risk  would  have  been 
run.  present.  In  Ex.  xiii.  12,  the  Hebrew  verb 
means  "  cause  to  pass  over  "  (R. V.  marg.),  and  for 
the  verb  used  here  cf.  Rom.  xii.  1.  The  purifica- 
tion was  of  the  mother,  the  presentation  of  the 
firstborn  son  (Ex.  xiii.  2  ;  Num.  xviii.  15). 

24.  sacrifice.  This  was  for  the  mother  (Lev. 
xii.  6),  and  not  the  ransom  of  the  firstborn,  a  pair, 
etc.  The  offering  was  that  of  the  poor. 

25.  Simeon.  Nothing  else  is  known  of  him, 
but  much  is  conjectured.  He  and  Anna  show  that 
in  a  time  of  spiritual  deadness  some  still  cherished 
the  life  of  the  soul,  just  and  devout.  "  righteous 
and  circumspect,"  i.e.  conscientious.  Luke  alone  in 
N.T.  uses  the  second  word  (cf.  Acts  ii.  5,  viii.  2, 
xxii.  12).  waiting".  Better  R.V.,  "looking  for." 
consolation  (cf.  Isa.  xl.  l).  As  the  Messiah 
was  looked  for  after  a  period  of  great  distress. 
He  was  described  as  the  "  Consoler "  or  "  Con- 
solation." 

26.  revealed.  How  we  are  not  told,  whether 
by  dream,  or  vision,  or  intuition,  the  Lord's 
Christ.    Better,  '^^the  Lord's  Anointed." 

27.  by  the  Spirit,  "^y  the  Spirit's  prompting ; 
not  "in  a  state  of  ecstasy,"  as  Rev.  i.  10.  temple. 
Gr.  "the  holy  place,"  probably  the  Women's  Court. 
parents.  No  denial  of  the  virgin  birth  is  intended  ; 
as  that  would  be  kept  secret,  Joseph  would  be 
commonly  known  as  Jesus'  father  (ver.  48). 

29-32.  The  Nunc  Dhnittis.  Another  of  the 
sacred  poems  Luke  weaves  into  his  story,  but  it 
is  more  directly  suited  to  its  occasion  than  the 
others,  and  is  not  composed  of  O.T.  reminiscences. 
It  has  the  rhythm  of  Hebrew  poetry,  and  should 
be  printed  as  in  R.V. 


St.  Luke  ii.  21-39  1^ 

29.  R.V:— 

"Now  lettest  thou  thy  servant  depart,  O  Lord, 
According  to  thy  word,  in  peace." 

now,  i.e.  that  I  have  seen  the  consolation  of 
Israel,  servant.  Gr.  "bondservant."  Lord.  Gr. 
"  Master."  The  picture  is  of  a  slave  kept  a  long 
time  on  the  watch,  and  at  last  released  from  his 
task  by  his  owner. 

30.  mine  eyes,  etc.  The  fulness  of  expression  here 
used — a  Hebrew  characteristic — has  suggested  a  tra- 
dition that  Simeon  was  blind,  and  now  regained  sight. 

31.  prepared.  "Ordained"  or  "appointed." 
all  people.  R.V.,  "  all  peoples/'  expresses  better 
the  universalism  of  the  Gospel. 

32.  R.V:— 

"A  light  for  revelation  to  the  Gentiles, 
And  the  glory  of  thy  people  Israel." 

Ps.  xcviii.  2  and  Isa.  Ixix.  6  are  here  combined. 
The  two  nouns  light  and  glory  are  either  in 
apposition  to  salvation,  or  depend  on  the  verb 
prepared ;  the  former  is  the  more  probable.  An- 
other possible  construction  is  that  glory  is 
parallel  to  revelation,  depending  on  for. 

34,  S5.  In  Simeon's  words  to  Mary  the  first  note 
of  the  coming  sufferings  of  the  Messiah  is  struck. 
If  Simeon  thought  most  of  all  of  the  Messiah  as 
the  Consoler,  he  would  also  be  led  to  think  of  Him 
as  sharing  the  distress  He  would  remove.  Had 
he  meditated  on  Isa.  liii.  ?     Not  improbably. 

34.  is  set.  "Is  appointed"  (cf.  Phil.  i.  17; 
1  Thess.  iii.  3).  fall,  etc.  (see  Isa.  viii.  14). 
Illustrations  of  this  judgment  of  men  by  the 
Messiah  are  Judas  and  Peter,  the  impenitent  and 


72   Westminster  New  Testament 

the  penitent  thief,  the  sinful  woman  and  the 
censorious  Pharisee,  the  bhnd  man  and  his  judges. 
sig^n.  An  event  or  person  so  significant  that  men 
are  judged  by  their  attitude  thereto,  whether  of 
faith  or  unbelief,  obedience  or  submission,  spoken 
against.  Jesus  endured  the  contradiction  of  sinners. 
S5.  Yea,  etc.,  is  not  a  parenthesis  as  in  A.V., 
of.  R.V.  The  opposition  to  the  son  would  be 
agony  to  the  mother,  that  the  thoughts,  etc. 
Depends  not  on  the  preceding  clause,  but  on  is  set. 
The  final  purpose  of  God  in  this  dividing  of  men 
by  the  Messiah  is  their  self -judgment  in  their  self- 
disclosure  (cf  John  iii.  19-21,  ix.  39-41). 

36.  Anna.  There  is  no  basis  for  the  tradition  that 
Atma  had  brought  up  the  Virgin  Mary  in  the  temple ; 
they  now  meet  as  hitherto  strangers,  prophet- 
ess. As  were  Miriam,  Deborah,  Huldah  ;  women 
"  inspired  of  God  to  make  known  His  will."  Aser. 
"  Although  the  ten  tribes  were  lost,  some  families 
possessed  private  genealogies  "  (Plummer,  p.  72). 

37.  fourscore  and  four.  This  may  state  her 
total  age,  or  only  the  years  of  her  widowhood.  If 
the  latter,  she  must  have  been  over  a  hundred 
5^ears  old.  So  long  a  widowhood  without  re- 
marriage was  regarded  as  very  honourable,  de- 
parted not.  This  must  mean  constant  attendance 
on  all  temple  services  as  well  as  prolonged  private 
devotions  in  the  temple,  and  cannot  mean 
continuous  residence  there,  but  Served.  R.V., 
"worshipping." 

38.  in  that  instant.  Better  R. V.,  "  at  that  very 
hour,"  omitting  likewise,  as  it  is  not  implied  in  the 
Greek  verb  used,  spake.  Afterwards  as  she  had 
opportunity,  all  them.  Whether  many  or  few 
we  cannot  tell.     Besides  Sadducees,  Pharisees,  and 


St.  Luke  ii.  40-52  73 

sinners  (the  religiously  indifferent)^  there  were 
quiet,  humble,  godly  men  and  women  in  the  land 
sustained  by  the  hope  of  the  Messiah. 

39.  Nazareth.  Luke  is  evidently  quite  ignorant 
of  Matthew's  record,  and  assumes  as  a  matter  of 
course  the  return  home. 


Luke  ii.  40-52. 
THE  BOY  JESUS. 

40  And   the  child  grew,  and   waxed  strong  in  spirit,  filled 

41  with  wisdom  :  and  the  grace  of  God  was  upon  him.  Now 
his  parents  went  to  Jerusalem  every  year  at  the  feast  of  the 

42  passover.     And  when  he  was  twelve  years  old,  they  went 

43  up  to  Jerusalem,  after  the  custom  of  the  feast.  And  when 
they  had  fulfilled  the  days,  as  they  returned,  the  child 
Jesus  tarried  behind  in  Jerusalem  ;  and  Joseph   and   his 

44  mother  knew  not  of  it.  But  they,  supposing  him  to  have 
been   in   the  company,    went  a    day's  journey  ;  and  they 

45  sought  him  among  their  kinsfolk  and  acquaintance.  And 
when    they   found  him   not,    they   turned  back   again   to 

46  Jerusalem,  seeking  him.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  after 
three  days  they  found  him  in  the  temple,  sitting  in  the 
midst  of  the  doctors,  both  hearing  them,  and  asking  them 

47  questions.     And  all  that  heard  him  were  astonished  at  his 

48  understanding  and  answers.  And  when  they  saw  him, 
they  were  amazed  :  and  his  mother  said  unto  him,  Son, 
why  hast  thou  thus  dealt  with  us  ?  behold,  thy  father  and 

49  I  have  sought  thee  sorrowing.  And  he  said  unto  them. 
How  is  it  that  ye  sought  me  ?  wist  ye  not  that  I  must  be 

50  about   my   Father's  business?     And  they   understood  not 

51  the  saying  which  he  spake  unto  them.  And  he  went  down 
with  them,  and  came  to  Nazareth,  and  was  subject  unto 
them  :  but  his  mother  kept  all  these  sayings  in  her  heart. 

52  And  Jesus  increased  in  wisdom  and  stature,  and  in  favour 
with  God  and  man. 


74   Westminster  New  Testament 

This  one  story  out  of  the  boyhood  of  Jesus  bears 
all  the  marks  of  truth.  Here  also  faithfulness  to 
the  Law  is  a  prominent  feature^  but  there  is  also 
the  suggestion  of  the  awakening  of  the  character- 
istically filial  consciousness  in  the  desire  to  know 
more  about  the  Father,  and  to  obey  Him. 

40.  This  verse  is  regarded  by  Plummer  as  "  the 
conclusion  of  a  separate  narrative/'  as  i.  80  is 
(cf.  i.  25,  38,  56,  ii.  20)  ;  but  if  Luke  had  written 
sources  he  has  so  worked  them  over,  that  we 
cannot  distinguish  them.  The  verse  may  also  be 
taken  as  a  general  introduction  to  the  particular 
incident  that  follows.  filled  with  wisdom. 
Gr.  "  becoming  full  of  wisdom."  There  was  mental 
and  moral  as  well  as  bodily  growth,  grace.  Like 
mother,  like  son  (cf.  i.  30). 

41.  every  year.  A  regular  habit.  The  Law 
required  every  male  to  go  up  to  Jerusalem  for  the 
three  feasts,  Passover,  Pentecost,  and  Tabernacles, 
but  when  the  people  came  to  be  widely  scattered 
this  became  impossible ;  every  Palestinian  Jew 
tried  to  go  up  once  a  year.  While  the  Law  did 
not  require  that  women  should  go  up,  piety 
prompted  many  to  go  with  their  husbands. 

42.  twelve.  The  age  at  which  a  Jewish  lad 
became  "  a  son  of  the  Law,"  subject  to  its  require- 
ments as  regards  feasts,  fasts,  etc. 

43.  days.  Either  the  two  principal  days,  or 
the  seven  required  by  the  Law  (Ex.  xii.  15,  l6). 
child.  Better R. v.,"  boy."  tarried.  Intentionally, 
so  absorbed  in  the  new  experience  of  worship,  etc. 
knew.    A  proof  of  their  confidence  in  Him. 

44.  company,  "caravan."  Neighbours  travelled 
together,  the  women  and  children  going  first, 
the  men  following  after.     Each  parent  may  have 


St.  Luke  ii.  40-52  75 

thought  that  the  Boy  was  with  the  other,  and  only 
when  the  halt  was  made  for  the  night  would  he 
be  missed. 

46.  three  days.  This  can  be  reckoned  in 
three  ways.  The  first  day  they  travelled  away 
from  Jerusalem,  the  second  day  returned  to  it, 
and  on  the  third  they  found  Jesus.  Or  the 
journey  from  Jerusalem  is  not  counted,  and  a 
whole  day  was  spent  in  vain  search  in  Jerusalem 
itself.  Or  neither  journey  is  reckoned,  and  two  whole 
days  were  spent  in  the  vain  search.  The  first  is 
the  most  probable.  At  least  three  days  were  spent 
by  the  Boy  in  the  temple,  and  while  nothing  is 
said,  we  cannot  doubt  that  these  three  days 
marked  an  epoch  in  His  personal  development, 
temple.  A  terrace  within  the  temple  where 
public  instruction  was  given  on  Sabbaths  and 
feasts.  The  feast  must  still  have  been  going  on 
during  these  days,  and  so  the  parents  must  not 
have  remained  the  seven  days,  sitting".  As  Paul 
sat  "at  the  feet  of  Gamaliel"  (Acts  xxii.  3)  to 
learn,  and  not  to  teach,  doctors.  Better  R.V. 
marg.,  "teachers,"  the  scribes  learned  in  the 
Law  and  the  traditions  of  the  fathers,  midst. 
Not  a  position  of  honour,  but  a  number  of  teachers 
were  gathered  around  Him.  asking.  This  was 
a  recognised  method  of  instruction,  and  implied 
no  assumption  of  the  teacher's  role  by  Jesus,  as 
legend  represents. 

47.  astonished.  A  word  expressing  much 
wonder  (cf.  viii.  56;  Acts  ii.  7,  12,  viii.  13,  ix.  21). 

48.  they.  The  parents,  amazed.  At  the  place 
He  was  in,  the  task  He  was  engaged  on,  and  His 
forgetfulness  of  them.  Son.  Gr.  "  child."  have 
sought.    Abetter  reading  is  "are  seeking."    Their 


76   Westminster  New  Testament 

anxiety  was  not  yet  over,     sorrowing.    "  in  great 
anguish." 

49.  How  is  it.  He  is  surprised  that  they  could 
think  of  looking  for  Him  elsewhere,  about  my 
Father's  business.  R.V., "  in  My  Father's  house." 
Gr.  "  in  the  things  of  My  Father."  The  R. V.  is 
more  probable,  as  it  is  the  place  in  which  He  was 
to  be  found  that  is  in  question,  father.  This 
has  no  reference  to  the  mother's  description  of 
Joseph  as  thy  father,  still  less  is  it  a  rebuke  of 
the  words.  At  this  stage  of  Jesus'  development 
He  probably  knew  nothing  of  the  mode  of  His 
birth,  and  there  was  no  opposition  of  earthly  and 
heavenly  fatherhood  in  His  mind.  It  is  the  first 
awakening  of  His  characteristic  filial  consciousness. 

50.  understood  not.  This  confession,  in  view 
of  the  probable  source  of  the  story,  is  a  guarantee 
of  truth.  How  could  they  know  all  that  the 
Messiahship  involved,  if  Jesus  discovered  Himself 
only  slowly  ? 

51.  subject.  The  Boy's  action  was  no  premature 
rebellion  against  parental  authority.  How  long 
Joseph  lived  to  exercise  it  we  do  not  know,  but 
he  was  dead  before  the  ministry  began  seventeen 
years  later,  kept.  Does  this  statement  explain 
the  ignorance  of  the  early  apostolic  witnesses 
regarding  the  birth  and  childhood  of  Jesus,  and 
does  Luke  add  this  to  confirm  the  accuracy  of 
his  information  ? 

52  (cf.  1  Sam.  ii.  26).  increased.  ^  R.V., 
''  advanced."  There  was  a  real  growth,  wisdom 
(cf  Heb.  V.  8).  Moral  and  religious  insight  was 
developed,  stature.  Though  the  word  also  means 
"age"  (xii.  25;  Matt.  vi.  27,  R.V.  marg.),  this 
suits    the    context    better,     favour,     "goodwill," 


St.  Luke  iii.  1-20  77 

"approval"  (cf.  i.  80).     The  characteristic  contrast 
ah-eady  appears  between  the  two  children. 


II.  THE  FORERUNNER  AND  THE 

PREPARATION  OF  JESUS 

(Luke  iii.  1-iv.  13). 

This  is  the  second  main  division  of  the  Gospel, 
and  shows  how,  on  the  one  hand,  the  people  were 
prepared  for  the  ministry  of  Jesus  by  the  preach- 
ing and  baptism  of  the  Forerunner ;  and  how,  on 
the  other  hand,  Jesus  Himself  was  in  His  baptism 
and  temptation  prepared  for  the  exercise  of  that 
ministry  by  His  dedication  of  Himself  to  God,  His 
equipment  for  His  work  by  God,  and  His  rejection 
of  methods  of  doing  this  work  contrary  to  the  will 
of  God.  In  this  section  Luke  introduces  a  wider 
historical  context  by  mentioning  the  contemporary 
rulers  (a  proof  of  his  historic  sense),  and  relates  the 
person  of  Jesus  as  the  Messiah  to  the  past  history 
of  the  nation  by  giving  His  genealogy,  which  in 
accordance  with  His  universalism,  however,  is 
carried  back  to  Adam.  While  he  begins  now  to 
follow  the  guidance  of  Mark  in  the  course  of 
events,  he  introduces  material  from  his  second  source 
(Q)  as  well  as  adds  matter  peculiar  to  himself. 


iLuke  iii.  1-20  {  =  Mark  i.  1-8  =  Matt.  iii.  1-12 
and  Mark  vi.  16-29=  Matt.  ^cv.  3-12). 

THE  MISSION  OF  JOHN  THE  BAPTIST. 

Now  in  the  fifteenth  year  of  the  reign  of  Tiberius  Caesar, 
Pontius  Pilate  being  governor  of  Judaea,  and  Herod  being 
tetrarch  of  Galilee,    and   his  brother  PhiHp  tetrarch   of 


78  Westminster  New  Testament 

Itursea  and  of  the  region  of  Trachonitis,  and  Lysanias  the 

2  tetrarch  of  Abilene,  Annas  and  Caiaphas  being  the  high 
priests,    the   word   of  God   came   unto    John   the  son   of 

3  Zacharias  in  the  wilderness.  And  he  came  into  all  the 
country  about  Jordan,  preaching  the  baptism  of  repentance 

4  for  the  remission  of  sins ;  as  it  is  written  in  the  book  of 
the  words  of  Esaias  the  prophet,  saying,  The  voice  of  one 
crying  in  the  wilderness^  Frepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord^ 

5  make  his  paths  straight.  Every  valley  shdll  be  filled,  and 
every  mountain  and  hill  shall  be  brought  low ;  and  the 
crooked  shall  be  made  straight,  and  the  rough  ways  shall  be 

6  made  smooth  ;  and  all  flesh  shall  see  the  salvation  of  God, 

7  Then  said  he  to  the  multitude  that  came  forth  to  be  baptized 
of  him,  O  generation  of  vipers,  who  hath  warned  you  to 

8  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come  ?  Bring  forth  therefore  fruits 
worthy  of  repentance,  and  begin  not  to  say  within  your- 
selves, We  have  Abraham  to  our  father  :  for  I  say  unto 
you,  That  God  is  able  of  these  stones  to  raise  up  children 

9  unto  Abraham.  And  now  also  the  axe  is  laid  unto  the 
root  of  the  trees :  every  tree  therefore  which  bringeth  not 
forth  good   fruit  is   hewn  down,    and   cast  into  the  fire. 

10  And  the   people    asked  him,  saying.  What  shall  we   do 

11  then?  He  answereth  and  saith  unto  them,  He  that  hath 
two  coats,  let  him  impart  to  him  that  hath  none ;  and  he 

12  that  hath  meat,  let  him  do  likewise.  Then  came  also 
publicans  to  be  baptized,  and  said  unto  him.  Master,  what 

13  shall   we  do?     And  he  said  unto  them,  Exact  no  more 

14  than  that  which  is  appointed  you.  And  the  soldiers  like- 
wise demanded  of  him,  saying,  And  what  shall  we  do  ? 
And  he  said  unto  them.  Do  violence  to  no  man,  neither 

1 5  accuse  any  falsely  ;  and  be  content  with  your  wages.  And 
as  the  people  were  in  expectation,  and  all  men  mused  in 
their  hearts  of  John,  whethier  he  were  the  Christ,  or  not ; 

16  John  answered,  saying  unto  them  all,  I  indeed  baptize  you 
with  water ;  but  one  mightier  than  I  cometh,  the  latchet 
of  whose  shoes   I   am   not   worthy  to  unloose :  he   shall 


St.  Luke  iii.  1-20  79 

17  baptize  you  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and  with  fire  :  whose  fan 
is  in  his  hand,  and  he  will  throughly  purge  his  floor,  and 
will  gather  the  wheat  into  his  garner  ;  but  the  chaff  he  will 

18  burn  with  fire  unquenchable.     And  many  other  things  in 

19  his  exhortation  preached  he  unto  the  people.  But  Herod 
the  tetrarch,  being  reproved  by  him  for  Herodias  his  brother 
Philip's  wife,  and  for  all  the  evils  which  Herod  had  done, 

20  added  yet  this  above  all,  that  he  shut  up  John  in  prison. 

After  mentioning  the  contemporary  rulers 
(vers.  1 J  2),  Luke  draws  from  Mark  a  brief  descrip- 
tion of  the  work  of  John  the  Baptist  as  the 
Forerunner  (vers.  3-6),  and  from  Q  the  solemn 
warning  to  the  people  (vers.  7-9).  He  himself 
adds  the  counsels  given  to  particular  classes 
(vers.  10-14).  In  John's  disclaimer  of  the  Mes- 
siahship  (vers.  15-17)  he  appears  dependent  on 
both  sources ;  he  returns  to  Mark  in  recording  the 
close  of  John's  ministry  by  imprisonment  (vers. 
18-20). 

1.  Does  the  date  refer  to  the  beginning  or  the 
close  of  the  Baptist's  ministry,  or  to  the  baptism  of 
Jesus  by  him  ?  We  cannot  be  certain,  but  it  is 
probable  that  John's  ministry  did  not  last  more 
than  a  year,  fifteenth  year.  It  is  uncertain 
whether  Luke  counts  from  the  death  of  Augustus, 
when  Tiberius  became  sole  ruler,  or  from  an  earlier 
time,  when  he  became  joint-ruler  with  Augustus. 
The  one  would  give  us  about  29  a.d.,  the  other 
about  26  or  27  a.d.  for  the  date.  At  the  later  date 
Jesus  would  be  about  thirty-two  (ver.  23,  "about 
thirty").  Pilate  was  governor  from  25  a.d.  to 
36  or  37  A.D.  Herod  Antipas  was  the  son  of 
Herod  the  Great  and  Malthace  the  Samaritan.  In 
4    B.C.   he  was  appointed  tetrarch  (governor   of  a 


8o   Westminster  New  Testament 

fourth,  i.e.  of  his  father's  dominions)  of  Peraea  and 
Galilee,  and  ruled  till  39  or  40  a.d.,  when  he  was 
banished.  He  had  the  title  ki7ig  not  of  right,  but 
by  courtesy.  Philip,  son  of  Herod  the  Great  and 
Cleopatra,  reigned  from  4  B.C.  to  33  a.d.,  when  he 
died.  He  built  Caesarea  Philippi,  and  was  reckoned 
the  best  of  the  Herods.  He  was  married  to  his 
niece  Salome.  His  territory  (the  region  of  Ituraea 
and  Trachonitis)  lay  N.  E.  of  Galilee  towards 
Damascus.  Lysanias.  We  have  no  other  certain 
evidence  about  him ;  for  Luke  is  not  likely  to  have 
confused  him  with  the  Lysanias  who  ruled  here 
before  36  b.c. 

2.  being  the  high  priests.  R.V.  better,  "  in  the 
high  priesthood."  While  according  to  the  Law 
there  was  only  one  high  priest,  Annas  and  Cai- 
aphas  seem  to  have  discharged  the  office  together, 
the  one  as  the  de  jure  (Acts  iv.  6),  the  other  as  the 
dejacto  (John  xi.  49)  High  Priest,  the  WOrd  of 
God  (cf.  Jer.  i.  2).  The  prophetic  inspiration. 
After  the  silence  of  centuries  a  prophetic  voice  was 
once  more  heard,  wilderness.  Same  place  as 
i.  80  ;  the  Jeshimon  of  1  Sam.  xxiii.  19  (R.V.  marg.). 

3.  into  all  the  country  about  Jordan.  R.V., 
"into  all  the  region  round  about  Jordan  " — that  is, 
"  the  plain  of  the  Jordan,"  from  the  west  shore  of 
the  Dead  Sea  northward  to  the  shores  of  the  Sea 
of  Galilee.  He  seems  to  have  laboured  on  both 
sides  of  the  river,  for  John  x.  40  places  him  in 
Peraea.     His   work   required   nearness   to  a  river. 

preaching.  Literally,  heralding,    the  baptism  of 

repentance.  The  baptism  which  is  the  outward 
sign  of  the  inward  change  of  repentance ;  lit., 
"change  of  mind,"  regret  for  the  past  deeds  and 
resolve   of  amendment   in    the   future,     for   the 


St.  Luke  iii.  1-20 


81 


remission  of  sins.  This  was  the  end  of  the 
repentance,  for  ^God  forgives  when  man  repents. 
This  forgiveness  was  with  a  view  to  the  coming 
Messianic  Kingdom. 

4.  book.  Used  only  by  Luke  (xx.  42  ;  Acts  i.  20, 
vii.  42)  and  Phil.  iv.  3.  words,  "utterances  of  a 
prophet  or  teacher"  (Acts  xx.  35).  The  VOice, 
etc.  From  Isa.  xi.  3.  This  quotation  is  also  in 
Matthew  and  Mark,  and  belongs  to  the  Marcan 
source.  John  i.  23  puts  the  quotation  on  the  lips  of 
the  Baptist  himself.  Luke  continues  the  quotation 
as  the  others  do  not,  vers.  4  and  5  as  well  as  3.  in 
the  wilderness.  May  be  taken  either  with  voice 
or  prepare,  the  former  better  ;  although  the  quota- 
tion shows  that  it  is  through  a  wilderness  the  way 
is  to  be  made  (in  the  original  from  Babylon  to 
Judaea).  The  moral  obstacles  in  the  condition  of 
the  nation  must  be  removed  to  prepare  for  the 
Messiah's  coming. 

5.  valley,  "ravine."  "crooked  shall  become 
straight  wai/s,  and  the  rough  ways  smooth 
7vays." 

6.  all  flesh,  i.e.  the  human  race  (Matt.  xxiv. 
21  ;  1  Pet.  i.  24).  Man's  creatureliness  and 
weakness  is  implied,  not  moral  depravity  as  in 
Paul's  use  of  the  term  ^ei"A.  salvation.  To  express 
his  Pauline  universalism,  Luke  continues  the 
quotation. 

7.  said  he.  "he  used  to  say."  It  is  not  the 
sermon  of  one  occasion  that  is  given,  but  a  summarj^ 
of  his  habitual  teaching.  Matt.  iii.  7  represents 
this  message  as  addressed  to  the  Pharisees  and 
Sadducees,  but  Luke's  Gentile  readers  would  have 
no  special  interest  in  such  a  detail,  baptized 
The  multitudes  seemed  to  have  thought  that  the 

6 


82   Westminster  New  Testament 

ordinance  could  take  the  place  of  the  repentance 
of  which  it  was  but  a  sign ;  yet  their  desire  for  it 
was  an  acknowledgment  of  John's  prophetic  claim, 
and  of  its  exceptional  value  as  somewhat  else  and 
more  than  the  ordinary  purifications.  From  these  it 
was  distinguished  as  offered  to  the  whole  nation  as 
needing  cleansing  in  view  of  the  coming  Messiah, 
generation.  This  descent  is  asserted  in  opposi- 
tion to  the  descent  from  the  fathers  of  which  they 
boasted,  vipers.  John  takes  his  illustration  from 
the  wilderness,  so  stones,  and  barren  trees,  the 
wrath  to  come.  The  Messianic  judgment  would 
fall  on  impenitent  Jews  also,  and  not  only  on  the 
Gentiles,  as  many  of  the  Jews  believed. 

8.  worthy  of  repentance,  '^repent,  and  show 

your  repentance  in  your  actions  "  (cf.  Acts  xxvi.  20). 
A  Rabbinic  saying  runs :  "  If  Israel  would  repent 
only  one  day,  the  Son  of  David  would  come  forth- 
with." begin  not.  "give  the  thought  no  enter- 
tainment in  your  mind,  but  show  it  the  door." 
Abraham.  Cf.  John  viii.  33,  5S  ;  Jas.  ii.  21.  stoneS 
(abani??i),  children  {banivi).  The  play  on  words  is 
easily  seen. 

9.  now.  The  judgment  is  at  hand,  every 
tree,  etc.  Trees  were  grown  in  Palestine  for  their 
fruit,  not  as  we  do  for  ornament ;  a  fruitless  tree 
was  not  spared. 

10-14.  This  passage  is  peculiar  to  Luke,  and 
shows  John's  "  cure  of  souls,"  how  he  adapted  his 
call  to  repentance  to  individual  duties  and  dangers. 

10.  asked.  "  continued  to  ask  "  ;  in  their  anxiety 
"  kept  asking."  then.  In  view  of  the  threatened 
judgment  to  escape  it. 

11.  coats.  The  chiton  was  the  under,  the 
himation  the  upper  garment ;   it  is  the  shirt  and  not 


St.  Luke  iii.  1-20  83 

the  coat  John  mentions.  To  him  two  shirts 
appeared  a  luxury  rather  than  a  necessity  (cf. 
Matt.  X.  10).  meat  (R.V.,  "food  ")  must  be  shared, 
whether  a  man  has  more  than  enough  for  himself 
or  not. 

12.  publicans.  "  collectors  or  renters  of  Roman 
taxes  "  (R.V.  marg.  on  Matt.  v.  46)  were  detested, 
not  only  for  their  own  fraud  and  tyranny,  but  still 
more  as  agents  of  a  foreign  dominion.  If  a  Jew 
became  a  "publican"  he  was  cut  off  from  the 
congregation,  and  his  whole  family  was  made  to 
feel  the  shame. 

13.  Exact.  R.V.,  "extort."  John  does  not  con- 
demn their  calling,  only  the  abuse  of  it. 

14.  soldiers,  "men  on  military  duty,"  not 
Romans,  but  Jews  ;  a  kind  of  police,  possibly  acting 
along  with  the  publicans,  accuse.  "intimidate 
in  order  to  extort  money."  wages,  "rations, 
allowance,  pay."  Don't  try  to  supplement  it  by 
getting  money  out  of  people  by  violence  or 
threats. 

15.  expectation.  Or  "in  suspense"  (A.V. 
marg.).  mused.  Better,  "reasoned  or  debated" 
(R.V.  marg.).  whether.  Add  with  R.V.,  "  haply." 
There  was  nothing  but  uncertainty. 

16.  answered.  Either  he  was  directly  ques- 
tioned, or  came  to  know  what  was  being  discussed. 
I  .  .  .  with  water.  The  Greek  puts  the  words 
close  together  for  emphasis.  Not  one  mightier, 
but  the  mightier,  the  well-known,  because  expected, 
Messiah,  worthy  (Gr.  "  sufficient ")  tO  un- 
loose. Cf.  Mark,  "  worthy  to  stoop  down  and  un- 
loose "  ;  and  Matthew,  "  worthy  to  bear."  This  is  a 
slave's  office,  and  with  fire.  Mark  omits  this 
phrase,  but  Matthew  has  it.     It  does  not  refer  to  the 


84   Westminster  New  Testament 

fiery  tongues  at  Pentecost,  or  to  the  penal  fires  for  the 
wicked,  but  either  to  the  purifying  power  of  the 
Spirit  or  to  the  fiery  trials  through  which  believers 
should  have  to  pass  (Plummer).  Bruce  interprets 
thus  :  "  The  function  in  both  cases  is  judicial.  John 
refers  to  the  Holy  Word  and  Fire  of  Judgment.  It 
iSj  however,  not  impossible  that  Luke  read  an 
evangelic  sense  into  John's  words "  (^Expositor's 
Greek  Testament,  i.  pp.  483-84). 

17.  fan.  "  winnowing  shovel."  unquenchable. 
The  word  not  does  express  the  endless  duration  of 
the  fire,  but  rather  its  fierceness,  so  that,  until  all 
the  fuel  is  consumed,  it  cannot  be  put  out. 

18.  Better  R.  v.,  "  With  many  other  exhortations 
therefore  preached  he  good  tidings  unto  the 
people."  many  other.  The  two  words  indicate 
that  what  is  given  above  is  only  a  brief  summary 
of  John's  teaching,  and  that  even  other  topics 
were  mentioned,  preached.  Gr.  ^^  evangelised  "  ; 
forgiveness  to  the  penitent. 

19.  Herod.  That  is,  Antipas.  Philip.  Not  the 
tetrarch  mentioned  in  ver.  1,  but  a  son  of  Herod 
by  Mariamne,  who  had  been  disinherited  by  him, 
and  lived  privately  in  Rome.  wife.  Herod  had 
taken  her  as  his  own  wife,  after  having  discarded 
the  daughter  of  Aretas.  all  the  evil  things. 
Luke  alone  mentions  this  wider  content  of  the 
rebuke. 

20.  Josephus  gives  as  the  reason  for  John's 
imprisonment  that  Herod  feared  he  might  use  his 
great  influence  among  the  people  to  cause  them  to 
revolt.  This  was  probably  the  reason  given  publicly. 
Luke  tells  us  what  the  real  reason  was.  It  was  in 
the  castle  of  Machaerus,  on  the  N.E.  corner  of  the 
Dead  Sea,  that  John  was  imprisoned.     Probably 


St.  Luke  iii.  21-22  85 

Herod  had  a  short  time  before  wrested  it  from 
Aretas.  Luke  does  not  give  an  account  of  the 
execution  of  John  the  Baptist,  but  alludes  to  it  in 
ix.  9. 


Luke  iii.  21,  22  (  =  Mark  i.  9-11  =  Matt.  iii.  13-17). 
THE  BAPTISM  OF  JESUS. 

21  Now  when  all  the  people  were  baptized,  it  came  to  pass, 
that  Jesus  also  being  baptized,  and  praying,  the  heaven 

22  was  opened,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  descended  in  a  bodily 
shape  like  a  dove  upon  him,  and  a  voice  came  from  heaven, 
which  said,  Thou  art  my  beloved  Son  ;  in  thee  I  am  well 
pleased. 

As  the  baptism  of  John  was  a  baptism  of  repent- 
ance, it  is  not  easy  to  understand  why  the  sinless 
Jesus  submitted  Himself  to  it.  Yet  it  is  Matthew 
alone  who  records  the  Baptist's  objection,  "  I 
have  need  to  be  baptized  of  Thee,  and  comest  Thou 
to  me } "  and  Jesus'  plea  in  answer,  "  Suffer  it  to 
be  so  now  ;  for  thus  it  becometh  us  to  fulfil  all 
righteousness"  (iii.  14,  15).  This  answer  suggests 
the  solution  of  the  problem.  It  was  not  merely 
as  a  confirmation  of  John's  ministry  that  Jesus  was 
baptized.  As  the  sinful  prepared  for  the  coming 
Kingdom  by  penitence  and  pardon,  so  He  dedicated 
Himself  to  it,  not  as  separating  Himself  from,  but 
as  identifying  Himself  with,  the  sinful  race.  The 
righteousness  He  fulfilled  was  that  of  the  Servant 
of  Jehovah,  pictured  in  Isa.  liii.,  who  suffered 
with  and  for  the  sinful  that  He  might  save  (see 
The  Inner  Life  of  Jesus,  chap.  iv.).  Mark's  record 
indicates  that  the  vision  and  the  voice  after  the 
baptism  were  for  Jesus  Himself  (i.  10,  11).     Luke 


86   Westminster  New  Testament 

does  not  so  confine  either,  but  he  preserves  the 
dh-ect  mode  of  address  in  the  second  person. 
Matthew,  according  to  some  of  the  ancient  MSS., 
agrees  with  Mark  as  to  the  first  point,  but  gives  the 
utterances  of  the  Voice  in  the  third  person  :  "  This 
is  My  beloved  Son"  (iii.  l6,  17).  The  Fourth 
Gospel  represents  the  descent  of  the  Spirit  as  a 
sign  given  to  the  Baptist,  whereby  he  might 
recognise  the  Messiah  (i.  32-34)).  Whether  others 
shared  the  vision  and  Voice  or  not,  it  seems  certain 
that  the  sign  was  intended  for  Jesus  as  the  Divine 
approval  of  His  self-dedication,  and  the  Divine 
endowment  with  the  miraculous  power  which  He 
exercised  in  His  ministry. 

21.  when  all,  etc.  Jesus  seems  to  have  waited 
till  the  multitude  that  had  come  to  be  baptized 
had  gone,  and  praying.  A  characteristic  Lucan 
addition. 

22.  in  a  bodily  shape.  Luke  alone  mentions 
this,  and  in  so  doing  possibly  makes  more  definite 
than  it  was  the  objective  manifestation,  whatever  it 
may  have  been.  It  need  hardly  be  said  that  we 
are  not  to  think  of  the  Spirit  as  embodied  in  a 
dove  ;  but  there  was  some  such  outward  sign  of  the 
presence  of  the  Spirit  (cf.  the  cloven  tongues  at 
Pentecost,  Acts  ii.  3).  While  the  filial  conscious- 
ness was  not  given,  but  approved  in  the  baptism, 
the  descent  of  the  Spirit  does  signify  that  Jesus 
then  became  conscious  of  possessing  supernatural 
powers ;  and  this  was  the  occasion  of  the  Tempta- 
tion which  at  once  followed.  Thou  art  my 
beloved  Son.  Rather,  "My  Son,  My  beloved 
one."  There  seems  to  be  a  reference  to  Ps.  ii.  7. 
Some  MSS.  add  the  words  that  follow  in  the  Psalm, 
'^  This  day  have   I   begotten  Thee,"  but  these  are 


St.  Luke  iii.  23-38  87 

inappropriate  here,  as  this  was  not  the  beginning 
of  the  Sonship,  or  even  of  the  consciousness  of  it. 
The  descent  of  the  Spirit  at  the  baptism  is  not,  as 
some  scholars  maintain,  an  alternative  explanation 
of  the  divinity  of  Christ  to  the  virgin  birth,  or  the 
incarnation  of  the  Logos.  It  is  not  only  an  out- 
ward sign  of  the  beginning  of  the  ministry,  but 
also  an  inward  confirmation  of  Jesus'  purpose  in 
the  assurance  of  the  Divine  approval  and  the  com- 
munication of  the  supernatural  powers. 


Luke  iii.  23-38  (cf.  Matt.  i.  1-17). 
THE  GENEALOGY  OF  JESUS. 

23  And  Jesus  himself  began  to  be  about  thirty  years  of  age, 
being  (as  was  supposed)  the  son  of  Joseph,  which  was  the 

24  son  of  Heli,  which  was  the  son  of  Matthat,  which  was  the 
son  of  Levi,  which  was  the  son  of  Melchi,  which  was  the 

25  son  of  Janna,  which  was  the  son  of  Joseph,  which  was  the 
son  of  Mattathias,  which  was  the  son  of  Amos,  which  was 
the  son  of  Naum,  which  was  the  son  of  Esli,  which  was 

26  the  son  of  Nagge,  which  was  the  son  of  Maath,  which  was 
the  son  of  Mattathias,  which  was  the  son  of  Semei,  which 

27  was  the  son  of  Joseph,  which  was  the  son  of  Juda,  which  was 
the  son  of  Joanna,  which  was  the  son  of  Rhesa,  which  was 
the  son  of  Zorobabel,  which  was  the  son  of  Salathiel,  which 

28  was  the  son  of  Neri,  which  was  the  son  of  Melchi,  which 
was  the  son  of  Addi,  which  was  the  son  of  Cosam,  which 

29  was  the  son  of  Elmodam,  which  was  the  son  of  Er,  which 
was  the  son  of  Jose,  which  was  the  son  of  EHezer,  which 
was  the  son  of  Jorim,  which  was  the  son  of  Matthat,  which 

30  was  the  son  of  Levi,  which  was  the  son  of  Simeon,  which 
was  theTson  of  Juda,  which  was  the  son  of  Joseph,  which 

31  was  the  son  of  Jonan,  which  was  the  son  of  Eliakim,  which 
was  the  son  of  Melea,  which  was  the  son  of  Menam,  which 


88  Westminster  New  Testament 

was  the  son  of  Mattatha,  which  was  the  son  of  Nathan, 

32  which  was  the  son  of  David,  which  was  the  son  of  Jesse, 
which  was  the  son  of  Obed,  which  was  the  son  of  Booz, 
which  was  the  son  of  Salmon,  which  was  the  son  of  Naasson, 

33  which  was  the  son  of  Aminadab,  which  was  the  son  of 
Aram,  which  was  the  son  of  Esrom,  which  was  the  son  of 

34  Phares,  which  was  the  son  of  Juda,  which  was  the  son  of 
Jacob,  which  was  the  son  of  Isaac,  which  was  the  son  of 
Abraham,  which  was  the  son  of  Thara,  which  was  the  son 

35  of  Nachor,  which  was  the  son  of  Saruch,  which  was  the 
son  of  Ragau,  which  was  the  son  of  Phaleg,  which  was  the 

36  son  of  Heber,  which  was  the  son  of  Sala,  which  was  the 
son  of  Cainan,  which  was  the  son  of  Arphaxad,  which  was 
the  son  of  Sem,  which  was  the  son  of  Noe,  which  was  the 

37  son  of  Lamech,  which  was  the  son  of  Mathusala,  which 
was  the  son  of  Enoch,  which  was  the  son  of  Jared,  which 
was  the  son  of  Maleleel,  which  was  the  son  of  Cainan, 

38  which  was  the  son  of  Enos,  which  was  the  son  of  Seth, 
which  was  the  son  of  Adam,  which  was  the  son  of  God. 

It  is  at  the  beginning  of  the  pubUc  ministry  of 
Jesus  that  Luke  inserts  the  genealogy,  for  it  is  the 
Davidic  descent  therein  shown  which  is  a  quaUfica- 
tion  for  the  Messiahship.  It  is  strange,  however, 
that  he  does  not  place  the  beginning  of  the  public 
ministry  after  the  story  of  the  Temptation,  which 
as  surely  as  the  Baptism  belongs  to  the  preparation. 
Besides  differences  within  the  list  of  names,  Luke's 
is  unlike  Matthew's  genealogy  in  three  respects  : 
(1)  The  place  given  to  it,  whereas  Matthew  places 
it  at  the  very  beginning  of  his  Gospel ;  (2)  the  start- 
ing-point, "  Jesus  being  the  son  (as  was  supposed) 
of  Joseph,"  and  the  backward  movement,  while 
Matthew  begins  with  Abraham,  and  moves  forward  ; 
(3)  the  termination,  not  as  Matthew  begins,  with 
Abraham,  but  with  "  Adam,  the  son  of  God."     The 


St.  Luke  iii.  23-38  89 

Jews  were  very  careful  to  preserve  genealogies,  and 
a  family  claiming  Davidic  descent  would  probably 
be  more  careful  still.  Even  if  Herod  the  Great 
did  order  such  genealogies  to  be  destroyed,  there 
is  no  proof  that  he  was  completely  successful,  and 
that  Luke  could  not  have  got  such  a  genealogy 
from  what  he  believed  to  be  "  an  authentic  source." 
Whether  any  such  genealogy  was  entirely  accurate 
is  quite  another  matter.  What  now  concerns  us 
is  Luke's  good  faith  in  what  he  here  offers.  The 
difference  between  Luke's  and  Matthew^' s  genealogy 
forbids  any  such  assumption  of  absolute  correctness 
in  either.  The  difficulty  is  only  evaded,  but  not 
escaped,  by  the  suggestion  that  the  one  is  the 
genealogy  of  Mary,  and  the  other  of  Joseph  ;  as 
both  mention  Joseph,  and  not  Mary,  and  Jews 
reckoned  descent  through  the  father.  As  Joseph 
was  legally  the  father  of  Jesus,  all  that  needed 
proof  was  Joseph's  Davidic  descent.  For  the  real 
interest  and  vital  influence  of  the  Gospel  the  point 
does  not  deserve  elaborate  discussion. 

23.  The  A.V.  is  impossible,  the  R.V.  must  be 
preferred.  "  And  Jesus  Himself,  when  He  began 
to  teach f  was  about  thirty  years  of  age."  The 
words  "to  teach,"  which  are  not  in  the  Greek,  are 
probably  too  definite.  It  is  His  whole  calling  that 
now  began, but  Mark  has  "to  teach"  (iv.  1).  as  was 
supposed.  This  guards  the  virgin  birth.  The 
suggestion  to  include  the  words  of  Joseph  in  the 
parenthesis,  and  so  make  Jesus  the  supposed  son  of 
Joseph,  but  the  real  grandson  of  Heli,  the  assumed 
father  of  Mary,  must  be  unhesitatingly  rejected  as 
doing  violence  to  the  language  used. 

27-31.  In  these  verses  the  only  point  of  agree- 
ment   in    the    two    genealogies    is    in    ver.    27. 


90   Westminster  New  Testament 
Zorobabel,thesonofSalathiel(R.V.,"Shealtiel"). 

Zenibhahel  played  a  prominent  part  as  the  head  of 
the  tribe  of  Judah  at  the  time  of  return  from  the 
Babylonian  Exile.  While  in  1  Chron.  iii.  1 9,  he  is 
mentioned  as  Shealtiel's  nephew,  yet  he  was  also 
his  heir.  Into  the  ingenious  conjectures  by  which 
the  genealogies  are  reconciled  we  need  not  enter. 

32-341.  David  to  Abraham.  Matthew  and  Luke 
here  entirely  agree,  but  Luke  alone  goes  back  to 
Adam  (35-38),  to  give  a  solid  basis  to  his  uni- 
versalism. 

38.  the  son  of  God.  Adam  is  so  described 
not  to  account  for  the  Divine  Sonship  of  Christ,  as 
in  that  case  he  would  in  no  way  differ  from  man- 
kind. It  is  to  correct  pagan  myths  about  man's 
origin,  and  to  assert  man's  dignity,  that  this  relation 
is  stated  here. 


Luke  iv.  1-13  (of.  Matt.  iv.  i-ii-Mark  i.  12,  13). 

THE  TEMPTATION  OF  JESUS. 

And  Jesus,  being  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  returned  from 
Jordan,  and  was  led   by  the  Spirit   into   the   wilderness, 

2  being  forty  days  tempted  of  the  devil.     And  in  those  days 
he  did  eat  nothing  :  and  when  they  were  ended,  he  after- 

3  ward  hungered.     And  the  devil  said  unto  him.  If  thou  be 
the  Son  of  God,  command  this  stone  that  it  be  made  bread. 

4  And  Jesus  answered  him,  saying,  It  is  written,  Tha^  man 
shall  not  live  by  bread  alone,  but  by  every  word  of  God. 

5  And  the  devil,  taking  him   up  into  an  high  mountain, 
shewed  unto  him   all  the   kingdoms  of  the  world  in  a 

6  moment  of  time.     And  the  devil  said  unto  him,  All  this 
power  will  I  give  thee,  and  the  glory  of  them  :  for  that  is 

7  delivered  unto  me  ;  and  to  whomsoever  I  will  I  give  it.     If 

8  thou  therefore  wilt  worship  me,  all  shall  be  thine.     And 


St.  Luke  iv.  1-13  91 

Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  him,  Get  thee  behind  me, 
Satan  :  for  it  is  written,  Thou  shalt  worship  the  Lord  thy 
9  God^  and  him  only  shalt  thou  serve.  And  he  brought  him 
to  Jerusalem,  and  set  him  on  a  pinnacle  of  the  temple,  and 
said  unto  him.  If  thou  be  the  son  of  God,  cast  thyself  down 

10  from  hence  :    for  it  is  written.  He  shall  give  his  angels 

11  charge  over  thee,  to  keep  thee :  and  in  their  hands  they  shall 
bear  thee  up,  lest  at  any  time  thou  dash  thy  foot  against  a 

12  stone.     And  Jesus   answering   said   unto  him,  It   is  said, 

13  Thou  shalt  not  tempt  the  Lord  thy  God.  And  when  the 
devil  had  ended  all  the  temptation,  he  departed  from  him 
for  a  season. 

In  the  account  of  the  Temptation  Luke  does  not 
follow  Mark,  but,  as  does  Matthew,  draws  from  the 
second  source  (Q).  Mark's  brief  statement  seems 
secondary.  Either  the  Evangelist  or  his  informant 
Peter  did  not  recognise  the  significance  of  the 
event,  and  so  did  not  seek,  or,  if  either  had,  use 
further  information.  He  has,  however,  two  signi- 
ficant touches  of  description :  ^^  the  Spirit  driveth 
Him  " — "  He  was  with  the  wild  beasts."  It  is  not 
improbable  that,  after  His  experience  in  baptism, 
Jesus  was  in  a  mood  of  ^^ storm  and  stress"  that  might 
be  fully  described  by  the  first  phrase.  Matthew 
and  Luke  draw  from  Q,  according  to  Harnack,  who 
holds  that  "  the  text  of  the  story  of  the  Tempta- 
tion in  Q  can  be  restored  with  almost  complete 
certainty  ;  almost  everywhere  does  what  is  peculiar 
to  the  two  witnesses  prove  itself  secondary.  The 
shortest  text  is  the  genuine,  and  Matthew  stands 
nearer  to  it  than  Luke  "  {Spri'iche  und  Reden  Jesu, 
p.  37).  As  regards  the  difference  of  order, 
Matthew's  third  being  Luke's  second  temptation, 
and  vice  versa,  he  holds  that  Matthew's  is  the  more 
probable  order,  as  the   temptation   to   bow  down 


92   Westminster  New  Testament 

to  Satan  is  the  greatest,  and  involves  the  disowning 
of  the  Divine  Sonship,  which  is  the  ground  of 
Satan's  appeal  in  the  other  two.  For  Luke's  order 
three  reasons  may  be  advanced  :  the  change  of 
place  is  left  to  the  last  temptation,  Satan  there 
first  ventures  as  a  last  resource  to  quote  Scripture, 
and  Christ's  answer  forbids  any  further  attempts. 
The  diiference  at  the  end  and  the  beginning  of 
each  stoiy  is  due  to  different  borrowings  from 
Mark.  If  the  record  of  the  Temptation  belongs  to 
Q,  then  it  is  to  be  included  in  the  teaching  Jesus 
Himself  gave.  It  is  clear  that  the  story  could 
come  from  no  other.  If  so,  when  and  for  what  end 
did  Jesus  lay  bare  His  own  soul  to  the  gaze  of  His 
disciples  .''  It  was  to  warn  them  against  the  danger 
which  He  Himself  had  escaped.  At  Caesarea 
Philippi  His  conception  of  the  Messiahship  and 
theirs  came  into  conflict.  Is  it  not  probable  that 
He  then  told  them  how  He  Himself  had  rejected 
as  temptations  of  Satan  their  expectations  ?  If 
this  was  the  occasion,  a  conclusion  follows  both  as 
regards  the  mode  and  the  content  of  His  teaching. 
The  mode  was  probably  parabolic.  There  are 
insuperable  difficulties  in  taking  the  story  of  the 
Temptation  literally.  Could  Satan  assume  a  visible 
form  and  an  audible  voice  at  will  ?  Could  he 
transport  Jesus  through  the  air  to  the  pinnacle  of 
the  temple.^  From  what  mountain  can  all  the 
kingdoms  of  the  world  be  seen  in  a  moment  of 
time  ?  It  is  more  reasonable  to  assume  that  Jesus 
put  in  these  figurative  forms  inner  experiences, 
which  were  so  subtle  and  persuasive,  that  only  He, 
by  His  moral  insight  and  spiritual  discernment, 
detected  them  as  temptations,  and  so  rejected  them. 
Had  He  told  His  disciples  just  what  the  suggestions 


St.  Luke  iv.  1-13 


93 


were,  they  would  probably  not  have  recognised 
them  as  real  temptations,  but  as  legitimate  devices 
and  purposes.  He  was  not  only  tempted  to  use 
the  miraculous  power  and  the  filial  position  for  self- 
pleasing,  self-sparing,  and  self-seeking,  not  only 
tempted  to  advance  His  cause  by  appeal  to  the 
popular  expectations  and  passions,  but  most  of  all 
to  make  His  Kingdom  as  Messiah  merely  a  pros- 
perous, aiTogant,  and  aggi'essive  secular  state, 
seeking  only  earthly  good,  fame,  and  power.  These 
suggestions  of  evil  did  not  arise  from  the  pure  soul 
of  Jesus  Himself.  No  external  bodily  tempter  was 
needed  to  present  them  to  Him.  He  did  not  live 
in  isolation,  and  these  were  the  common  desires 
and  hopes  regarding  the  Messianic  age.  At  the 
beginning  of  the  ministry  He  had  to  decide 
whether  He  would  follow  the  popular  expectations, 
or  be  led  by  His  Father's  will  in  His  own  soul. 

1.  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  mood  of 
exaltation  at  the  baptism  continued,  but  the  con- 
sciousness of  possessing  supernatural  power  forced 
on  Him  the  need  for  solitude  to  decide  how  it 
should  be  used.  Not  into  but  in :  in  His  solitary 
wanderings  He  was  conscious  of  the  same 
presence. 

2.  forty  days  may  be  taken  with  wilderness, 
as  R.V.  takes  it,  ^^  during  forty  days,"  or  with 
tempted,  as  A.V.  does.  The  temptations  either 
continued  during  this  period,  or  came  in  more 
concentrated  force  at  the  close  of  it.  tempted. 
Tried  with  a  view  to  evil ;  the  word  means  simply 
tri/  (^'assayed,"  Acts  ix.  26),  ov  tri/  with  a  view  to 
good  (2  Cor.  xiii.  5),  as  by  affliction  (Heb.  xi.  17),  or 
as  here,  in  order  to  lead  to  sin  (Jas.  i.  13).  devil. 
The  Greek  word  means  '^  calumniator,"  but  renders 


94   Westminster  New  Testament 

the  Hebrew  word  Satan,  "  adversary."  Cf.  Job  i. 
6-12,  ii.  1-7  ;  and  Zech.  iii.  1-3.  Without  doubtmg 
or  denying  the  existence  of  a  personal  power  of 
evil,  we  may,  as  stated  above,  hesitate  to  assume 
a  bodily  presence  here,  did  eat  nothing.  Cf. 
Matt.  iv.  2,  '^fasted."  Absorbed  in  the  inward 
struggle,  Jesus  either  did  not  feel  the  need  of 
food,  or  He  chose,  till  the  victory  was  secured,  not  to 
take  food.  Both  Evangelists  suggest  that  the  pangs 
of  hunger  were  not  felt  till  the  end  of  the  time. 

3.  If  thou  be  the  Son  of  God.  The  position 
is  to  be  used  for  self-pleasing,  to  gain  an  earthly 
good.  Can  God  wish  His  Son  to  be  hungry 
(cf.  Gen.  iii.  1)  ?  Jesus  did  not,  and  to  fulfil  His 
calling  could  not,  use  His  miraculous  power  to 
meet  His  own  wants,  and  so  raise  Him  above 
the  common  human  lot.  stone.  Christ's  outward 
surroundings  suggested  the  form  of  the  tempta- 
tion ;  there  might  appear  a  resemblance  between 
a  stone  and  a  loaf  of  bread. 

4.  It  is  written.  Jesus  does  not  use,  as  is 
sometimes  suggested,  the  words  of  Scripture  as 
magic  formulae  of  mysterious  power,  but  as  ex- 
pressing  the  moral  and  spiritual  principles  which 

ruled  His  life,  man  shall  not  live  by  bread 
alone.  Quoted  from  Deut.  viii.  3,  where  the  words 
refer  to  the  manna,  God's  provision  for  His  people 
instead  of  bread.  What  Jesus  means  is  that  the 
Son  of  God  leaves  it  to  His  Father's  care  to 
meet  His  wants,  and  that  bodily  food  is  not  what 
He  most  cares  for  (cf.  John  iv.  34).  He  cared 
more  for  dependence  on,  and  submission  to,  God 
than  for  satisfaction  of  His  bodily  needs. 

5.  "  If  Satan  on  the  mountain,"  says  Plummer 
(p.  Ill),  "could  present  to  Christ's  mind  kingdoms 


St.  Luke  iv.  1-13 


95 


which  were  not  visible  to  the  eye,  he  could  do 
so  in  the  desert.  We  may  suppose  that  he 
transfeiTed  Jesus  in  thought  to  a  mountain-top, 
whence  He  could  in  thought  see  all."  If  some 
parts  of  the  narrative  must  thus  be  taken  figura- 
tively, we  may  ask,  why  not  the  whole  story? 
the  world.  Gr.  ^nhe  inhabited  earth"  (cf.  xxi. 
26;  Acts  xi.  28,  xvii.  6,  xix.  27).  moment  of 
time.  Cf  ^^the  twinkling  of  an  eye"  (1  Cor.  xv. 
52). 

6.  power.  Better  R.V.,"  authority."  delivered. 

By  man's  sin  with  God's  permission.  The  influence 
of  evil  on  human  affairs  is  a  reality  (cf.  John 
xii.  31,  xiv.  30,  xvi.  11),  but  it  is  not,  as  the 
words  suggest,  a  legitimate  dominion.  A  cause 
may  be  advanced  in  the  world  by  the  use  of 
unworthy  means. 

7.  worship.  Marg.  A.V.,  f«^fall  down  before 
me,"  the  attitude  of  adoration.  If  Jesus  consented 
to  use  evil  means  for  His  Kingdom,  He  would 
acknowledge  Satan ;  but  He  refused,  for  His 
Kingdom  was  not  of  this  world  (John  xviii.  SQ,  37), 
and  the  prince  of  this  world  had  nothing  in  Him 
(xiv.  30). 

8.  R.V.  omits  ''Get  thee  behind  me,  Stan," 
which  has  crept  in  from  Matt.  iv.  10,  modified  by 
xvi.  23.  The  quotation  is  from  Deut.  vi.  13,  with 
the  word  ivorship  instead  of  fear,  to  bring  it  into 
correspondence  with  the  devil's  suggestion.  The 
words  affirm  God's  sole  and  absolute  sovereignty. 

9.  pinnacle.  Gr.  '^'^wing";  some  high  point 
in  the  temple  building,  but  which  we  cannot  tell, 
cast  thyself  down.  Either  to  test  God's  power 
to  rescue  from  all  danger,  or  to  overcome  unbelief 
in  others  by  such  a   display.     A   recklessness   of 


96   Westminster  New  Testament 

consequences  or  an  ostentatious  display  of  mir- 
aculous power  in  establishing  and  maintaining 
His  Kingdom  is  what  this  temptation  means. 

10,  11.  Quoted  from  Ps.  xci.  11,  12,  with  the 
omission  of  the  words,  "  in  all  Thy  ways,"  after  to 
keep  thee.  It  is  doubtful  whether  the  omission 
is  significant,  as  is  maintained.  If  it  is,  then  the 
omitted  words  impose  a  limitation  on  the  claim 
to  God's  care  ;  only  in  the  path  of  duty  does 
God  guarantee  safety. 

12.  The  quotation  in  reply  is  from  Deut.  vi.  l6, 
and  what  the  words  mean  is  shown  by  the 
illustration,  ^^as  ye  tempted  Him  in  Massah." 
Presumptuous  demands  on  God  are  not  trust  in 
God,  but  a  tempting  Him  to  show  His  displeasure. 

13.  all  the  temptation.  R.V.,  "every  tempta- 
tion"; better,  "every  kind  of  temptation."  The 
forty  days  were  full  of  varied  trials,  of  which  these 
given  are  but  samples,  for  a  season.  "  until  a 
season,"  till  the  next  convenient  opportunity  (cf. 
Acts  xiii.  11,  xxiv.  25).  Jesus  was  again  tempted  : 
when  the  people  desired  to  make  Him  King 
(John  vi.  1 5),  when  the  scribes  demanded  "  a  sign 
from  heaven"  (Mark  viii.  11),  when  Peter  re- 
monstrated with  Him  regarding  His  purpose  to 
suffer  (Matt.  xvi.  23),  when  He  prayed  that,  if 
possible,  the  cup  might  pass  from  Him  (Matt, 
xxvi.  39).  The  Temptation  in  the  wilderness  was 
an  anticipation  of  what  He  experienced  through- 
out His  ministry.  He  "was  in  all  points  tempted 
like  as  we  are,  yet  without  sin"  (Heb.  iv.  15). 
His  sinlessness  was  maintained.  His  perfection 
attained,  by  a  real  moral  development  and 
discipline,  inclusive  of  temptation  withstood  and 
overcome. 


St.  Luke  iv.  14-ix.  50         97 

III.  THE  MINISTRY  OF  JESUS  IN  GALILEE 

(Luke  iv.  14-ix.  50). 

The  third  main  division  of  the  Gospel  deals 
v^^ith  the  ministry  of  Jesus  in  Galilee.  Here  for 
the  most  part  Luke  follows  Mark  closely,  but 
he  inserts  not  a  little  material  peculiar  to  himself, 
and  makes  considerable  use  also  of  his  second 
source  (Q).  The  Synoptists  agree  in  making  no 
mention  of  the  early  ministry  of  Jesus  in  Judaea, 
or  of  the  visit  of  Jesus  to  Galilee,  recorded  in 
John's  Gospel  (i.,  ii.,  iii.).  Luke,  by  his  refer- 
ence to  "  the  power  of  the  Spirit,"  suggests  that 
the  Galilaean  ministry  immediately  followed  the 
Baptism ;  but  his  statement  about  the  spread 
of  Jesus'  fame  (ver.  14)  suggests,  on  the  contrary, 
some  previous  ministry.  Why  did  Jesus  as  Jewish 
Messiah  not  begin  His  work  at  the  centre  of 
national  thought  and  life,  but,  as  it  were,  at  its 
circumference?  The  Synoptists  raise  but  do  not 
answer  the  question.  John's  answer  is  altogether 
credible.  It  was  His  failure  at  Jerusalem,  and 
the  danger  threatened  by  the  hostility  of  the 
Jewish  rulers  there,  that  led  Jesus  to  make  His 
appeal  to  His  countrymen  in  Galilee.  We  must 
recognise  how  one-sided  our  sources  are.  Mark 
reports  only  what  Peter  taught,  and  Peter's 
personal  knowledge  may  have  been  almost  entirely 
confined  to  Galilee.  If  the  second  source  is 
derived  from  Matthew,  another  Galilaean,  the  same 
limitation  probably  belongs  to  it.  The  Fourth 
Gospel,  on  the  contrary,  probably  goes  back  for 
most  of  its  material  to  a  Jerusalemite  eye-witness. 
Matthew  (iv.   12),  and   Mark  (i.    14)  give  John's 


98   Westminster  New  Testament 

imprisonment  as  the  reason  for  Jesus'  departure 
into  Galilee.  This  seems  insufficient,  unless 
supplemented  by  the  infoi*mation  of  the  Fourth 
Gospel.  It  was  the  hostility  in  Judaea  that 
brought  home  to  Jesus  that  He  was  running  a 
similar  risk  as  John  had  done,  and  that  He  might 
hope  for  greater  safety  in  Galilee. 


(^)  The  First  Stage  of  the  Ministry  in  Galilee 
(Luke  iv.  14-vi.  11). 

Luke  iv.  14,  15  (  =  Mark  i.  14,  15=  Matt.  iv.  12). 
JESUS  IN  GALILEE. 

14  And    Jesus    returned    in   the    power    of   the    Spirit   into 
Galilee  :    and  there  went  out  a  fame  of  him  through  all 

15  the     region    round    about.      And    he     taught    in    their 
synagogues,  being  glorified  of  all. 

14,  15.  These  introductory  verses  give  a  summary 
of  the  Galilaean  ministry  without  entering  into 
details,  to  indicate  its  character,  its  effect,  and 
its  method.  It  was  marked  by  ^'holy  enthusiasm," 
secured  a  widespread  popularity  for  Jesus,  and 
had  the  synagogues  as  its  scene.  In  the  previous 
paragraph  what  is  implied  in  the  reference  to 
the  Spirit  and  Christ's  fame  has  already  been 
discussed.  Toward  the  close  of  His  ministry,  when 
Jesus  had  provoked  the  antagonism  of  scribes 
and  Pharisees,  the  synagogues  were  not  so  open 
to  Him. 

15.  taught.  Teaching  rather  than  worship  was 
the  function  of  the  synagogue,  synagogues. 
While   Galilee   was   very  populous,  =  Josephus   no 


St.  Luke  iv.  16-30  99 

doubt  exaggerates  when  he  says  that  "  the  smallest 
villages  had  fifteen  thousand  inhabitants,  and  that 
there  were  over  two  hundred  towns  and  villages  " 
(Plummer).  It  is  not  likely  that  every  village  had 
its  own  synagogue,  but  through  the  synagogue  the 
whole  Jewish  population  could  be  reached. 

Luke  iv.  16-30  (cf.  Mark  vi.  1-6= Matt.  xiii.  54-58). 
JESUS  AT  NAZARETH. 

16  And  he  came  to  Nazareth,  where  he  had  been  brought 
up :  and,  as  his  custom  was,  he  went  into  the  synagogue 

17  on  the  sabbath  day,  and  stood  up  for  to  read.  And  there 
was  deHvered  unto  him  the  book  of  the  prophet  Esaias. 
And  when  he  had  opened  the  book,  he  found  the  place 

18  where  it  was  written,  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  me^ 
because  he  hath  anointed  me  to  preach  the  gospel  to  the 
poor ;  he  hath  sent  me  to  heal  the  brokenhearted^  to  preach 
deliverance  to  the  captives^  and  recoverijtg  of  sight  to  the 

19  blind i  to  set  at  liberty   them  that  are   bruised,   to  preach 

20  the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord.  And  he  closed  the  book, 
and  he  gave  it  again  to  the  minister,  and  sat  down.  And 
the  eyes  of  all  them  that  were  in  the  synagogue   were 

21  fastened    on   him.     And    he   began    to   say    unto    them, 

22  This  day  is  this  scripture  fulfilled  in  your  ears.  And  all 
bare  him  witness,  and  wondered  at  the  gracious  words 
which  proceeded  out  of  his  mouth.     And  they  said,   Is 

23  not  this  Joseph's  son?  And  he  said  unto  them.  Ye  will 
surely  say  unto  me  this  proverb,  Physician,  heal  thyself: 
whatsoever  we  have  heard  done  in  Capernaum,  do  also 

24  here  in  thy  country.     And  he  said.  Verily  I  say  unto  you, 

25  No  prophet  is  accepted  in  his  own  country.  But  I  tell 
you  of  a  truth,  many  widows  were  in  Israel  in  the  days 
of  Elias,  when  the  heaven  was  shut  up  three  years  and 
six  months,  when  great  famine  was  throughout  all   the 

26  land ;   but  unto  none  of  them  was  Elias  sent,  save  unto 


loo   Westminster  New  Testament 

Sarepta,  a  city  of  Sidon,  unto  a  woman  that  was  a  widow. 

27  And  many  lepers  were  in  Israel  in  the  time  of  Eliseus 
the   prophet ;    and  none   of  them   was   cleansed,    saving 

28  Naaman   the   Syrian.     And  all   they  in    the   synagogue, 
when  they  heard  these  things,  were   filled   with   wrath, 

29  and  rose  up,  and  thrust   him   out   of  the  city,  and  led 
him  unto   the  brow  of  the  hill  whereon  their   city   was 

30  built,  that  they  might  cast  him  down  headlong.     But  he 
passing  through  the  midst  of  them  went  his  way, 

This  section  is  peculiar  to  Luke,  and  he  must 
have  had  some  special  source  of  information. 
Could  it  have  been  Jesus'  family  ?  It  is  certain 
that  the  visit  did  not  take  place  at  the  very 
beginning  of  His  ministry,  as  a  ministry,  of  which 
the  fame  had  spread  widely,  in  Capernaum  is 
referred  to  by  Jesus  Himself;  but  Luke  places 
it  here  as  typical.  Jesus'  grace  to  all  meets  with 
unbelief.  Tihe  shadow  of  the  Cross  falls  so  early 
upon  His  path.  If  this  visit,  then,  belongs  to 
a  later  stage  of  the  ministry,  it  may  be,  and 
probably  is,  the  same  as  that  recorded  in  Mark 
vi.  1-6  =  Matt.  xiii.  54-58.  It  is  not  likely  that 
two  visits  so  similar  would  occur.  Knowing  His 
fellow-townsmen,  would  He  not  wait  to  present 
His  claim  until  His  widespread  fame  had 
weakened  the  suspicion  and  jealousy  which 
neighbours  so  often  display  ? 

16.  brought  up.  This  must  be  understood  in 
the  light  of  ii.  51.  custom.  When  He  lived 
in  Nazareth,  He  either  regularly  attended  the 
synagogue,  or  also  read  the  Scriptures  in  it ; 
the  first  is  certain,  the  second  is  doubtful.  But 
the  clause  may  not  refer  to  Nazareth,  but  to  what 
He  was  doing  elsewhere.  stOOd  up.  This  was  the 
usual   custom,   a  sign   that  either   He   had  been 


St.  Luke  iv.  16-30  loi 

asked  by  the  ruler  of  the  synagogue,  or  was  ready 
to  read.  Any  member  of  the  congregation  might 
do  so.  read.  Two  lessons  were  read,  one  from 
the  Law  and  one  from  the  Prophets.  As  Hebrew 
was  not  generally  understood,  the  translation  into 
Aramaic  followed.  Although  translation  is  not 
mentioned,  Jesus  probably  did  translate. 

17.  the  book,  ^^roll."  prophet.  Possibly  some 
one  else  had  read  the  part  of  the  Law.  It  is 
uncertain  whether  there  were  selected  lessons,  or 
Jesus  chose  this  passage  Himself  as  most  suitable 
to  His  purpose,  found  need  not  mean  by  chance, 
but  by  choice. 

18,  19.  The  Evangelist  quotes  the  LXX  version 
from  memory  (cf.  Isa.  Ixi.  1,  2).  A.V.  follows 
some  later  MS.  in  inserting  "  to  heal  the  broken- 
hearted," which  R.V.,  following  the  best  authorities, 
omits. 

18.  The  Spirit.  Jesus  applies  these  words  in 
view  of  His  experience  in  baptism,  anointed. 
Prophets  and  priests  were  anointed  with  oil,  so 
Jesus  with  the  Spirit.  This  was  His  ordination 
to  Messiahship.  poor.  Yet  godly  and  desiring 
salvation,  sent.  As  an  ambassador.  The  word  used 
implies  a  special  commission.  captives.  Lit., 
^^  prisoners  of  war."  blind.  The  reference  may 
be  to  prisoners  who  had  either  been  blinded  by 
their  captors,  or  had  lost  their  sight  in  the  dark- 
ness of  the  prison,  to  set  at  liberty  them  that 
are  bruised.  These  words  are  inserted  from 
Isa.  Iviii.  6,  probably  by  a  slip  of  memoiy  of  the 
Evangelist's,  as  in  reading  Jesus  would  not  be  likely 
to  make  such  an  insertion  from  another  passage  into 
the  passage  before  Him.  bruised.  Broken  both  in 
outward  circumstance  and  inward  disposition. 


I02 


Westminster  New  Testament 


i9.  acceptable  year.  The  age  of  the  Messiah. 
The  words  need  not  be  taken  literally  as  limiting 
the  ministry  of  Jesus  to  one  year.  While  the 
Synoptic  record  would  admit  such  a  limitation, 
the  Johannine  seems  to  require  three  years.  Jesus 
did  not  continue  the  quotation,  "  and  the  day  of 
vengeance  of  our  God/'  as  He  desired  now  to 
speak  only  "words  of  gi'ace"  (ver.  22). 

20.  closed.  Better,  "  rolled  up/'  for  it  was  not 
a  bound  book,  but  a  roll  from  which  Jesus  read, 
minister.  R.V.,  "attendant."  The  "chazzan/' 
who,  besides  looking  after  the  Scripture  rolls,  taught 
the  children  to  read,  and  scourged  offenders 
(Matt.  X.  17).  sat.  The  usual  attitude  in  teaching 
(cf.  V.  3;  Acts  xvi.  IS),  fastened,  "riveted" 
(cf.  Acts  vi.  15).  Their  interest  was  due  to  His 
fame  elsewhere,  their  personal  familiarity  with 
Him,  or  perhaps  also  His  mode  of  reading,  and 
choice  of  text. 

21.  say.  Luke  gives  only  a  brief  summary  of 
the  discourse  that  followed,  this  scripture.  The 
passage  just  read.  Jesus  found  His  ideal  of  His 
vocation  in  the  second  part  of  the  Book  of  Isaiah, 
specially  in  the  suffering  Servant. 

22.  witness.  Talked  to  one  another  of  all  they 
had  heard  about  Him,  without  zeal  or  belief, 
however,  wondered.  Astonishment  rather  than 
reverence,  words  of  grace.  In  matter  as  well  as 
manner ;  "  gracious  words  about  God's  grace." 
they  said.  An  objection  to  acceptance  of  this 
teaching  at  once  suggests  itself ;  they  know  Him 
too  well,  and  all  about  Him,  to  yield  themselves 
at  once,  as  others  have  done,  to  His  influence. 

23.  surely.  R.V.,  "doubtless."  proverb.  R.V., 
"  parable,"     The   word   implies    "  a    comparison," 


St.  Luke  iv.  16-30  103 

and  means  any  figurative  utterance.  Physician, 
heal  thyself.  The  Hebrew  form  is  ''  Heal  thine 
own  lameness."  The  exact  meaning  is  doubtful. 
Either,  "Do  good  in  Nazareth  as  elsewhere/'  or 
more  probably,  "  Show  the  fulfilment  of  the 
prophecy  in  your  own  self  before  you  offer  to  fulfil 
it  in  others."  In  the  one  case,  local  jealousy,  in 
the  other,  personal  depreciation  is  expressed.  The 
context,  however,  favours  the  less  probable  of  the 
two  interpretations  of  the  proverb  itself,  have 
heard.  The  word  hints  a  doubt,  if  it  does  not 
risk  a  denial,     country,  i.e.  native  town. 

24.  And  he  said.  This  suggests  a  refusal  to 
work  a  miracle  on  demand,  and  the  growing 
unbelief  that  resulted  from  the  refusal.  For  what 
follows  seems  a  justification  of  such  a  refusal. 

25.  He  shows  that  He  is  in  the  prophetic 
succession  in  this  mode  of  action,  three  years 
and  six  months.  The  Jewish  tradition  (cf. 
Jas.  V.  17).  1  Kings  xviii.  1  has  "in  the  third 
year,"  that  is,  after  two  years  and  a  half. 

26.  Sarepta.  Heb.  Zarepkatk,  1  Kings  xvii.  9 ; 
probably  the  modern  Surafend. 

28.  filled  with  wrath.  At  His  comparing  Him- 
self with  Elijah  and  Elisha,  and  themselves  with 
the  unbelieving  Israelites  to  whom  God  in  bestow- 
ing His  favour  preferred  the  heathen  (cf.  Acts  xiii. 
46-50,  xxii.  21,  22). 

29.  brow  of  the  hill.  According  to  tradition, 
this  is  a  precipice  80  to  300  feet  high  at  some 
distance  from  the  town  to  the  south-east.  Modern 
writers  suppose  that  it  must  have  been  a  smaller 
precipice  nearer  at  hand,  whereon  refers  not 
to  the  brow,  but  to  the  hill,  for  the  brow  of  the 
hill  is   above    the    modern    village,     threw  him 


I04   Westminster  New  Testament 

down.    A  case  of  "  Lynch  law  "  (cf.  John  viii.  59, 
X.  31  ;  Acts  vii.  58,  xxi.  31,  32). 

30.  passing  through  the  midst.  This  does 
not  necessarily  involve  any  miracle.  His  was  a 
commanding  presence,  and  He  seems  to  have  put 
forth  in  tone,  look,  or  gesture.  His  influence  to 
subdue  their  passions  (cf.  John  xviii.  6).  went 
his  way.  To  Capernaum,  now  His  home.  Nazareth 
was  never  entered  again.  It  knew  not  the  day 
of  its  visitation. 

Luke  iv.  31-41  (  =  Mark  i.  21-34= Matt,  iv-  13 ; 
and  Matt.  viii.  14-17). 

A  SABBATH  IN  CAPERNAUM. 

31  and  came   down  to   Capernaum,  a   city  of  Galilee,   and 

32  taught  them  on  the  sabbath  days.     And  they  were  aston- 

33  ished  at  his  doctrine  :  for  his  word  was  with  power.  And 
in  the  synagogue  there  was  a  man,  which  had  a  spirit  of  an 

34  unclean  devil,  and  cried  out  with  a  loud  voice,  saying,  Let 
us  alone ;  what  have  we  to  do  with  thee,  thou  Jesus  of 
Nazareth  ?  art  thou  come  to  destroy  us  ?     I  know  thee  who 

35  thou  art ;  the  Holy  One  of  God.  And  Jesus  rebuked  him, 
saying,  Hold  thy  peace,  and  come  out  of  him.  And  when 
the  devil  had  thrown  him  in  the  midst,  he  came  out  of  him, 

36  and  hurt  him  not.  And  they  were  all  amazed,  and  spake 
among  themselves,  saying,  What  a  word  is  this  !  for  with 
authority  and  power  he  commandeth  the  unclean  spirits, 

37  and  they  come  out.     And  the  fame  of  him  went  out  into 

38  every  place  of  the  country  round  about.  And  he  arose  out 
of  the  synagogue,  and  entered  into  Simon's  house.  And 
Simon's  wife's  mother  was  taken  with  a  great  fever ;  and 

39  they  besought  him  for  her.  And  he  stood  over  her, 
and   rebuked  the    fever ;    and  it  left  her  :    and  immedi- 

40  ately  she  arose  and  ministered  unto  them.  Now  when 
the  sun  was   setting,  all   they    that    had    any   sick   with 


St.  Luke  iv.  31-41  105 

divers  diseases  brought  them  unto  him  ;  and  he  laid  his 
41  hands  on  every  one  of  them,  and  healed  them.  And  devils 
also  came  out  of  many,  crying  out,  and  saying,  Thou  art 
Christ  the  Son  of  God.  And  he  rebuking  them  suffered 
them  not  to  speak  :  for  they  knew  that  he  was  Christ. 

If  the  previous  incident  —  the  rejection  at 
Nazareth — is  typical  of  the  whole  career  of  Jesus, 
— grace  rejected  in  unbelief — the  Sabbath  day  in 
Capernaum  is  given  as  a  sample  of  the  happy  early 
days  of  the  Galilaean  ministry,  when  Jesus'  teaching 
and  healing  alike  gathered  admiring  and  inter- 
ested crowds  around  Him. 

31.  came  down.  To  the  shore  of  the  lake. 
Capernaum.  This  is  a  "  Syrian  corruption "  of 
"  Caphar-Nahum."  It  was  the  leading  Jewish  town 
in  the  neighbourhood,  a  centre  of  trade.  It  is 
identified  either  with  Tell  Hum  or  Khan  Minyehj 
three  miles  south  ;  but  no  certainty  is  attainable. 

32.  doctrine.  Better  R.V.,  "teaching."  power. 
Better  R.V.,  "authority"  to  command  the  hearer's 
conscience — as  the  teaching  of  the  scribes  did 
not  (Mark  i.  22.  Luke  omits  this  comparison, 
as  not  of  interest  to  Gentile  readers). 

SS.  synagogue.  Probably  that  referred  to  in 
vii.  5.  devil.  Gr.  "demon."  The  man  was  a 
demoniac;  according  to  the  common  belief, possessed 
by  a  demon.  In  most  of  these  cases,  at  least,  we 
should  to-day  speak  simply  of  insanity. 

34.  This  recognition  of  Jesus  by  demoniacs  is  held 
by  some  conclusive  evidence  of  the  reality  of  posses- 
sion. It  has  to  be  proved,  however,  that  evil  spirits 
have  keener  spiritual  discernment  than  good  men, 
and  that  evil  spirits,  had  they  such  discernment, 
would  be  prompted  to  bear  such  unsolicited  testimony 


io6   Westminster  New  Testament 

to  Jesus.  The  reason  sometimes  suggested  that  the 
testimony  was  intended  to  discredit  Jesus'  claim 
sounds  plausible  to  us,  but  in  the  judgment  of  the 
populace,  so  credulous  and  superstitious,  would 
that  have  been  the  effect  ?  It  is  more  reasonable 
to  suppose  that  the  popular  excitement  in  regard 
to  Jesus  laid  hold  on  these  disordered  minds,  that 
they  readily  accepted  as  certainty  what  they 
heard  in  discussion  as  a  possibility,  that  this  might 
be  the  Messiah,  and  that,  exercising  no  restraint 
in  utterance  as  the  sane  would  do,  they  blurted 
out  the  belief  when  excited  contagiously  by  the 
multitude  in  the  presence  of  Jesus.  Here  we  are 
in  a  region  of  conjecture,  and  have  not  the  data 
for  any  definite  conclusion.  Let  US  alone.  R.V., 
"  Ah  !  "  an  exclamation,  is  more  probable,  what 
have  we  to  do  with  thee.  "  What  have  we  in 
common  ?  "  The  insane  shared  the  common  belief 
that  their  state  was  due  to  possession  by  evil 
spirits,  destroy  us.  Doubtless  the  Messiah  was 
regarded  as  a  destroyer  of  demons ;  a  common 
belief  is  expressed,  the  Holy  One  of  God.  The 
phrase  is  found  only  in  the  parallel  in  Mark  (i.  24) 
and  John  vi.  69-  As  in  the  Fourth  Gospel  the 
epithet  is  put  in  the  mouth  of  Simon  Peter,  we 
may  conclude  it  was  a  title  given  in  some  circles 
to  Jesus  as  Messiah,  and  is,  therefore,  no  proof  of 
exclusive  doctrinal  information  possessed  by  evil 
spirits.  That  the  Evangelist  regarded  the  testimony 
as  supernatural  cannot  be  doubted,  but  that  cannot 
compel  our  belief. 

S5.  rebuked  (Mark  iv.  39).  Jesus  either  Him- 
self held  the  common  belief,  or  adapted  His 
treatment  of  such  cases  to  the  disordered  mind. 
He  addressed  the  demon  in  those  who   believed 


St.  Luke  iv.  31-41  107 

themselves  possessed  by  one.  Such  Umitation  of 
knowledge^  if  we  must  assume  it,  is  quite  consistent 
with  perfect  knowledge  and  revelation  of  God  as 
Father,  as  questions  of  pathology  belong  to  the 
realm  of  human  science,  not  Divine  revelation. 
Whether  there  are  or  are  not  demons  is  a  question 
indifferent  for  Christian  faith.  (For  further  dis- 
cussion, the  writer  may  refer  to  his  Inner  Life  of 
Jesus,  chap,  xiv.)  Hold  thy  peace.  Lit.,  "be 
muzzled"  (cf.  1  Cor.  ix.  9 ;  1  Tim.  v.  18).  threw 
him  down.  In  convulsions,  without  having  done 
him  any  injury. 

36.  R.V.  margin,  "What  is  this  word,  that  with 
authority  and  power  He  commandeth  the  unclean 
spirits,  and  they  come  out }  "  While  the  exorcists 
who  professed  to  expel  demons  used  an  elaborate 
ceremonial,  Jesus  was  able  to  cure  with  one  word. 
This  is  the  cause  of  wonder  bordering  on  terror, 
authority  and  power.  Both  the  right  and  the 
might. 

37.  Luke  likes  to  dwell  on  the  impression  Jesus 
made  (vers.  20,  22,  32,  36,  v.  26). 

38.  Simon.  Peter  has  not  yet  been  mentioned, 
but  Luke  thinks  no  introduction  necessary.  He  was 
probably  Jesus'  host  in  Capernaum,  wife's  mother. 
That  Peter  was  married  appears  in  1  Cor.  ix.  5. 
taken  with  a  great  fever.  A  physician's  descrip- 
tion,   they.  Peter  and  possibly  his  brother  Andrew. 

39.  stood  over  her.  Matthew  (viii.  15), 
"touched  her  hand"  ;  and  Mark  (i.  31),  "took  her 
by  the  hand."  rebuked.  The  word  need  not  imply 
a  personal  agent  of  the  disease  (cf.  xiii.  11,  I6; 
Mark  ix.  17,  25),  as  all  disease  does  not  seem 
to  have  been  assigned  to  demonic  possession. 
immediately.    The   physician   alone   notices   the 


io8   Westminster  New  Testament 

suddenness  of  cure,     ministered.  An  evidence  of 
completely  restored  health  and  strength. 

40,  41.  Luke  as  a  physician  carefully  distin- 
guishes the  "  divers  diseases  "  which  were  healed, 
and  the  demonic  possessions. 

40.  when  the  sun  was  setting.  Matthew, 
"  when  even  was  come."  Mark,  "  at  even,  when  the 
sun  did  set."  Mark's  is  the  original  tradition,  from 
which  the  other  Evangelists  borrowed  each  a  clause. 
The  Sabbath  ended  at  sunset,  and  the  multitude 
watched  for  the  first  moment  when  without  break- 
ing the  Sabbath  they  could  come,  laid  his  hands. 
The  touch  is  the  sign  of  transmission,  conferring 
a  blessing.  Sometimes  Jesus  used  only  the  word 
of  power,  but  the  touch  would  show  grace  and 
awaken  faith. 

41.  Son  of  God  =  " Holy  One  of  God"  (see  on 
ver.  34).  suffered  them  not.  He  refused  such 
testimony,  and  the  disclosure  was  premature. 


Luke  iv.  42-44  (of.  Mark  i.  35-39). 
JESUS'  SENSE  OF  HIS  CALLING. 

42  And  when  it  was  day,  he  departed  and  went  into  a  desert 
place :  and  the   people  sought  him,  and  came  unto  him, 

43  and  stayed  him,  that  he  should  not  depart  from  them.     And 
he  said  unto  them,  I  must  preach   the  kingdom  of  God 

44  to  other  cities  also  :   for  therefore   am  I   sent.     And  he 
preached  in  the  synagogues  of  Galilee. 

This  passage  Luke  derives  from  Mark,  but 
makes  some  characteristic  additions. 

42.  when  it  was  day.  Mark,  "in  the  morning, 
a  great  while  before  day" — the  touch  of  an  eye- 
witness.      He    adds,  "and   then   prayed."      It   is 


St.  Luke  iv.  42-44  109 

strange  that  Luke,  who  refers  to  Jesus*  prayers 
when  others  do  not,  should  here  omit  the  fact. 
Jesus  needed  refreshment  and  guidance  from  His 
Father  in  the  strain  and  perplexity  of  His  work. 
That  guidance  clearly  came  in  His  resolve  not  to 
confine  His  ministry  nowito  Capernaum,  the  people. 
R.  v.,  "the  multitudes."  Mark,  "Simon  and  they  that 
were  with  him  " — again  the  eye-witness,  sought. 
"  Kept  seeking,"  probably  as  soon  as  it  was  day, 
to  hear  and  see  more. 

43.  must.  Cf.  ii.  49 ;  the  Divine  necessity  of 
duty,  the  kingdom  of  God.  R.V.,  "the  Gospel 
of  the  Kingdom  of  God."  Luke's  first  use  of  the 
phrase.  It  means  "the  good  from  God  Jesus 
brought";  but  scholars  now  warmly  debate  whether 
it  is  a  present  or  future,  an  ethical  or  eschato- 
logical,  a  catastrophic  or  evolutionary  conception. 
Does  Jesus  mean  a  supernatural  act  of  God  in 
consummation  of  His  purpose  to  establish  a  new 
order,  or  a  moral  and  religious  progress  of  men 
under  Divine  influence  towards  so  transcendent  a 
goal  ?  In  Germany  the  fashion  of  the  moment  is 
to  insist  that  the  former  view  alone  is  true ;  but 
the  writer  holds  that,  taking  account  of  all  the 
data,  the  latter  is  more  probable,  the  Other 
cities.  Jesus  does  not  contrast  His  preaching  and 
healing,  and  rebuke  the  desire  of  the  people  for 
the  latter  only,  for  there  is  no  evidence  that  any 
such  preference  had  been  shown,  but  He  does 
rebuke  the  selfishness  of  one  town  which  would 
keep  Him  to  itself,  am  I  sent.  By  God.  Mark, 
"  came  I  forth  " — that  is,  left  Peter's  home  to  escape 
your  importunity.  This  is  the  more  probable  sense. 
Jesus  would  not  to  the  multitude  reveal  His  inmost 
soul. 


no   Westminster  New  Testament 

44.  preached.     R.V.,   "was    preaching."     For 
some  time,  but  how  long  we  do  not  know. 

Luke  V.  i-ii  (cf.  Mark  i.  16-20= Matt.  iv.  18-22 ; 
and  John  i.  35-42,  xxi.  1-14). 

THE  CALL  OF  PETER. 

And  it  came  to  pass,  that,  as  the  people  pressed  upon  him 
to   hear    the    word   of    God,   he    stood   by  the  lake    of 

2  Gennesaret,  and  saw  two  ships  standing  by  the  lake : 
but  the  fishermen  were  gone  out  of  them,  and  were  wash- 

3  ing  their  nets.  And  he  entered  into  one  of  the  ships, 
which  was  Simon's,  and  prayed  him  that  he  would  thrust 
out  a  little  from  the  land.     And  he  sat  down,  and  taught 

4  the  people  out  of  the  ship.  Now  when  he  had  left  speak- 
ing, he  said  unto  Simon,  Launch  out  into  the  deep,  and 

5  let  down  your  nets  for  a  draught.  And  Simon  answering 
said  unto  him,  Master,  we  have  toiled  all  the  night,  and 
have  taken  nothing  :  nevertheless  at  thy  word  I   will  let 

6  down  the  net.  And  when  they  had  this  done,  they 
inclosed  a  great  multitude  of  fishes :  and  their  net  brake. 

7  And  they  beckoned  unto  their  partners,  which  were  in  the 
other  ship,  that  they  should  come  and  help  them.  And 
they  came,  and  filled  both  the  ships,  so  that  they  began  to 

8  sink.  When  Simon  Peter  saw  it,  he  fell  down  at  Jesus' 
knees,  saying,   Depart  from  me ;  for  I  am  a  sinful  man, 

9  O  Lord.  For  he  was  so  astonished,  and  all  that  were 
with  him,  at  the   draught   of  the  fishes  which  they  had 

10  taken  :  and  so  was  also  James,  and  John,  the  sons  of 
Zebedee,  which  were  partners  with  Simon.  And  Jesus 
said  unto  Simon,  Fear  not ;  from  henceforth  thou  shalt 

11  catch  men.  And  when  they  had  brought  their  ships  to 
land,  they  forsook  all,  and  followed  him. 

Markj  followed  closely  by  Matthew,  records  briefly 
the  summons  of  Simon,  and  Andrew  his  brother,  to 


St.  Luke  V.  i-ii 


II 


become   fishers   of  men,  and   then  of  James  and 
John,  the  sons  of  Zebedee,  but  makes  no  mention 
of  the  miraculous  draught  of  fishes.     The  call  of 
Peter,   as   told  by   Luke,   is  peculiar  to  him,  but 
shows  points  of  likeness  to  the  story  told  in  the 
Fourth  Gospel  about  the  third  of  Jesus'  manifesta- 
tions to  His  disciples  after  His  resuiTection.     This 
story   is    followed    by     the    account     of    Peter's 
restoration   to   discipleship.     It   is   not  impossible 
that  such  a  miracle  was  wrought  twice ;  but  the 
close  connection  with  Peter  in  both  cases  makes  it 
not  improbable  that  we  have  here  variant  traditions 
of  one  event,  about  the  date  of  which  there   was 
no  clear  indication.     We  have  no  data  for  deciding 
whether,   if  this  be   the   case,  Luke  or  John  has 
given  the  tradition  its  proper  setting.     Luke,  find- 
ing the  saying  about  "  fishers  of  men  "  in  Mark,  and 
having  heard  the  tradition,   may  have  concluded 
that  this  was   the  proper   place   for  it.     If  Peter 
was  Mark's  informant,  as  is  genei-ally  believed,  it 
is    strange  that   he  does  not  record  this  stoiy  of 
the  call,  which  one  may  suppose  Peter  would  have 
been  fond   of  telling.     According  to   the  Fourth 
Gospel  (i.    35-42)   two   of  the  Baptist's  disciples 
(Andrew  and  another,  generally  supposed  to  be  John) 
followed  Jesus,  when  He  was  designated  the  Lamb 
of  God.    Andrew  brought  Peter  to  Jesus,  and  it 
is  sometimes  assumed  John  brought  James.     Thus 
all  four  disciples  mentioned  in  the  story  in  Mark 
and  Matthew  as  now  called  by  Jesus  had  had  some 
previous  connection  with  Him.     The  call  now  was 
to  constant  companionship ;  and  the  surrender  of 
home   and   calling   is  made   more  probable,  if,  as 
the  Fourth  Gospel  indicates,  there  had  been  such  a 
previous  intimacy. 


112   Westminster  New  Testament 

1.  lake.  So  Luke  always  calls  it,  while  the 
other  Evangelists  less  accurately  call  it  "sea." 
The  fertility  around  it  was  in  marked  contrast  to 
the  barrenness  around  the  Dead  Sea. 

2.  fishermen.  Fishing  was  then,  not  now,  a 
thriving  trade.  nets.  The  general  term.  In 
Matt.  iv.  18,  and  xiii.  7,  special  kinds  are 
mentioned. 

5.  Master.  Luke,  writing  to  Gentiles,  uses  the 
general  term,  never  Rabbi,  all  the  night.  The 
better  time  for  fishing,  nevertheless.  Too  strong 
a  word  ;  R.V.  has  "but."  at  thy  word.  Obedient 
to  it,  because  relying  on  it. 

6.  a  great  multitude  of  fishes.  The  miracle 
should  be  conceived,  not  as  one  of  omnipotent 
creation,  but  as  of  supernatural  knowledge,  an 
endowment  Jesus  sometimes  exercised  for  the 
ends  of  His  ministry,  as  in  His  insight  into  human 
minds  and  hearts.  This  must  not,  however,  be 
regarded  as  equivalent  to  omniscience,  for  the  Son 
of  God,  in  becoming  man,  accepted  as  a  necessary 
condition  of  a  real  human  life  the  limitation  of 
knowledge  (see  The  Inner  Life  of  Jesus,  chap, 
xiv.).  Explorers  bear  witness  to  the  enormous 
shoals  of  fish  sometimes  found  in  this  lake,  brake. 
R.V.,  "  was  breaking,"  and  would  have  broken,  had 
not  help  come  from  the  other  boat. 

7.  beckoned.  Possibly  the  boats  were  too  far 
away  for  a  shout,  ship.  R.V.,  "boat";  and  so 
throughout  the  story. 

8.  Simon  Peter.  Luke's  only  use  of  the  two 
names,  and  the  first  use  of  "  Peter."  sinful  man. 
Not  criminal,  or  exceptionally  wicked,  but  one 
conscious  of  the  contrast  between  himself  and  the 
holiness  of  Jesus.     Not  fear  of  punishment  from. 


St.  Luke  V.  12-16  113 

but  sense  of  unworthiness  to  be  near,  One  so  holy 
prompted  the  cry  (cf.  Matt.  viii.  8).  O  Lord. 
A  title  of  higher  dignity  than  Master  (ver.  5). 

10.  James  and  John.  Mark  i.  19,  20,  and 
Matt.  iv.  21-22.  partners.  Another  word  than 
that  in  ver.  7,  but  it  is  difficult  to  bring  out  the 
difference  in  translation.  It  is  uncertain  whether 
the  same  persons  are  referred  to  in  both  places. 
Simon.  Luke  keeps  Peter  in  the  foreground  in 
this  story,  catch.  Gr.  "  take  alive."  Mark  has 
"  Come  ye  after  me,  and  I  will  make  you  to 
become  fishers  of  men."  Men  instead  of  fish,  for 
life  and  not  for  death — twofold  contrast  of  his  new 
and  old  calling. 

11.  brought.  A  nautical  expression  (cf.  Acts 
ix.  30,  xxii.  30,  xxiii.  15-20,  etc.).  Luke  was  at 
home  on  the  sea,  as  a  Jew  would  not  have  been. 
they  left  all  and  followed  him.  While  Luke  in 
this  story  is  concerned  with  Peter  only,  he  returns 
to  the  common  tradition  in  the  last  verse,  and 
includes  others  in  the  call. 


Luke  V.  12-16  (  =  Mark  i.  40-45=  Matt.  viii.  1-4). 
THE  CLEANSING  OF  THE  LEPER. 

12  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  he  was  in  a  certain  city,  behold 
a  man  full  of  leprosy  :  who,  seeing  Jesus,  fell  on  his  face, 
and  besought  him,  saying,  Lord,  if  thou   wilt,  thou  canst 

13  make  me  clean.  And  he  put  forth  his  hand,  and  touched 
him,  saying,  I  will :  be  thou  clean.     And  immediately  the 

14  leprosy  departed  from  him.  And  he  charged  him  to  tell 
no  man  :  but  go,  and  shew  thyself  to  the  priest,  and  offer 
for  thy  cleansing,  according  as  Moses  commanded,  for  a 

15  testimony  unto  them.  But  so  much  the  more  went  there 
a  fame  abroad  of  him  :  and  great  multitudes  came  together 

8 


114   Westminster  New  Testament 

to  hear,  and  to  be  healed  by  him  of  their  infirmities. 
1 6  And  he  withdrew  himself  into  the  wilderness,  and  prayed. 

Luke  follows  Mark  closely  in  this  story. 
Matthew  tells  it  more  briefly.  He  puts  it  first 
after  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount ;  but  as  the 
sermon  itself  is  introduced  at  too  early  a  stage  in 
the  ministry,  that  in  no  way  fixes  the  order  of  time. 
Mark  has  a  statement,  obscured  by  Luke,  which 
suggests  the  significance  of  the  event  in  the 
course  of  Jesus'  ministry.  Instead  of  keeping 
silence,  as  strictly  enjoined,  the  leper  so  freely 
indulged  in  speech,  that  "  Jesus  could  no  more 
openly  enter  into  a  city,  but  was  without  in  desert 
places "  (ver.  45).  Why  ?  Not  because  of  the 
multitudes  that  gathered  together,  but  because 
by  touching  the  leper  He  was  believed  to  have 
incurred  ceremonial  defilement ;  and  to  avoid  pro- 
voking needless  opposition,  He  went  for  a  time 
into  retirement.  His  synagogue  ministry  seems  by 
this  incident  to  have  been  brought  to  an  end,  and 
the  first  sign  of  opposition  to  His  work  was  given. 

12.  full  of  leprosy.  Luke  alone  gives  this 
minute  description.  The  Law  (Lev.  xiii.  12,  13) 
provided  that  when  the  disease  had  reached  this 
stage,  the  priest  might  pronounce  the  sufferer 
clean.  Hence  the  man  was  not  breaking  the  Law 
in  approaching  his  fellow-men  (Plummerj  p.  148). 
This  does  not  seem  quite  consistent,  however, 
with  Jesus'  strict  injunctions  about  silence,  and 
the  consequence  of  the  leper's  babbling  just  noted. 
wilt  .  .  .  canst.  The  man  had  more  belief  in 
Jesus'  power  than  His  goodness,  make  me  clean. 
The  Greek  verb  has  been  held  by  some  scholars 
to  mean  also  "  pronounce  me  clean,"  so  as  to  get 


St.  Luke  V.  1 2-16  115 

rid  of  the  miracle ;  and  to  reduce  the  incident  to 
a  request  that  Jesus  should  discharge  the  priest's 
function  in  the  matter.  But  if  that  were  the 
meaningj  why  should  Jesus  both  pronounce  him 
clean  and  send  him  to  the  priest  ?  The  Evangelists 
mean  to  record  the  miracle  of  a  real  cure  of  leprosy, 
a  disease  commonly  believed  to  be  incurable  by  man. 

13.  touched  him.  Showing  grace  and  awaking 
faith,  the  leprosy  departed  from  him.  Mark 
adds  here,  "  and  he  was  made  clean."  This  clause 
alone  Matthew  borrows. 

14.  charged  him.  Mark  adds  R.V.,  "strictly," 
or  marg.,  "sternly/'  as  one  meaning  to  be  obeyed. 
Many  reasons  have  been  suggested  for  this  charge, 
such  as  consideration  for  the  man,  that  he  might 
get  "his  bill  of  health"  from  the  priest  before  the 
reality  of  the  cure  could  be  challenged  by  opponents, 
or  that  he  might  not  be  unduly  puifed  up  by  the 
wonder  he  had  experienced ;  consideration  for  the 
Law  of  Moses  that  its  requirements  should  be 
observed  before  the  man  had  any  intercourse  with 
his  fellows,  or  consideration  for  Himself  that  the 
ministry  should  not  be  interrupted  on  the  ground 
that  He  had  incurred  ceremonial  defilement.  The 
last,  in  view  of  Mark's  conclusion  to  the  narrative, 
seems  the  most  probable,  according  as  Moses 
commanded.  See  Lev.  xiv.  4-10.  testimony. 
As  a  proof  to  priest  and  people  that  Jesus  had 
come,  not  to  destroy,  but  to  fulfil  the  Law. 

15.  Luke  does  not  record,  as  Mark  does,  the 
leper's  disobedience,  and  the  inconvenience  it 
involved  for  Jesus,  the  more.  Either  "  more  than 
ever,"  or  "  all  the  more  "  for  the  prohibition. 

16.  Luke  gives  no  special  reason  for  the  with- 
drawal, ignoring  Mark's  explanation,  which  either 


ii6   Westminster  New  Testament 

he  did  not  himself  understand^  or  his  readers 
would  not  have  understood.  He  has  to  fall  back 
on  his  characteristic  emphasis  on  Jesus'  devoutness. 


Lukev.  17-26  (  =  Mark  ii.  1-12= Matt.  ix.  1-8). 
THE  PALSIED  MAN  FORGIVEN  AND  CURED. 

17  And  it  came  to  pass  on  a  certain  day,  as  he  was  teaching, 
that  there  were  Pharisees  and  doctors  of  the  law  sitting  by, 
which  were  come  out  of  every  town  of  Galilee,  and  Judrea, 
and  Jerusalem  :  and  the  power  of  the  Lord  was  present  to 

18  heal  them.  And,  behold,  men  brought  in  a  bed  a  man 
which  was  taken  with  a  palsy  :  and  they  sought  means  to 

19  bring  him  in,  and  to  lay  him  before  him.  And  when  they 
could  not  find  by  what  way  they  might  bring  him  in 
because  of  the  multitude,  they  went  upon  the  housetop, 
and  let  him  down  through  the  tiling  with  his  couch  into 

20  the  midst  before  Jesus.     And  when  he  saw  their  faith,  he 

21  said  unto  him,  Man,  thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee.  And  the 
scribes  and  the  Pharisees  began  to  reason,  saying.  Who  is 
this  which  speaketh  blasphemies  ?     Who  can  forgive  sins, 

22  but  God  alone  ?  But  when  Jesus  perceived  their  thoughts, 
he  answering   said   unto   them,  What  reason  ye  in  your 

23  hearts  ?     Whether  is  easier,  to  say.  Thy  sins  be  forgiven 

24  thee ;  or  to  say,  Rise  up  and  walk  ?  But  that  ye  may 
know  that  the  Son  of  man  hath  power  upon  earth  to 
forgive  sins,  (he  said  unto  the  sick  of  the  palsy,)  I  say  unto 
thee.    Arise,  and   take   up  thy  couch,  and  go  into  thine 

25  house.  And  immediately  he  rose  up  before  them,  and 
took  up  that  whereon  he  lay,  and   departed   to   his  own 

26  house,  glorifying  God.  And  they  were  all  amazed,  and 
they  glorified  God,  and  were  filled  with  fear,  saying,  We 
have  seen  strange  things  to-day. 

Here  too  Luke  follows  Mark  closely^  and  Matthew 
is  briefer.     The   changes  in  wording   are   due   to 


St.  Luke  V.  17-26  117 

Luke's  sense  of  style.  If  the  touch  of  the  leper 
was  the  first  cause  of  offence^  the  claim  to  forgive 
sins  was  the  second^  and  more  serious. 

17.  Pharisees.  This  is  the  first  mention  of 
Jesus'  opponents  in  Galilee.  They  insisted  on, 
and  the  honest  and  earnest  ones  practised,  a  strict 
observance  not  only  of  the  Law,  but  also  of  all  the 
applications  and  amplifications  which  the  tradition 
of  the  scribes  required.  They  were  at  least  sus- 
picious of,  if  not  yet  hostile  to,  the  new  Teacher. 
doctors.  "  teachers  of  the  law  "  (Acts  v.  34,  and 
1  Tim.  i.  7)  meaning  the  same  as  "scribes."  They 
copied  the  MSS.  of  the  Law,  interpreted  it,  pre- 
served the  traditions,  and  acted  as  assessors  in 
courts  of  justice,  as  well  as  taught  in  the  schools. 
every  town.  R.V.,  "every  village."  This  is  one 
of  Luke's  hyperboles.  Judaea  and  Jerusalem 
were  probably  still  indifferent  to  the  movement  in 
Galilee,  the  power  of  the  Lord,  etc.  R.V., 
"  the  power  of  the  Lord  was  with  Him  to  heal " 
(marg.,  Gr.  "  that  He  should  heal ").  God's  power 
was  at  Jesus'  disposal  for  miracles  of  healing  (cf.  iv. 
36).  Miracles  are  in  N.T.  called  powers,  as  well  as 
wonders  and  signs  (see  Acts  ii.  22,  R.V.).  The 
question  has  been  raised  whether  Jesus  always 
possessed  this  power,  or  was  able  to  exercise  it  on 
each  occasion  in  answer  to  prayer.  This  is  certain, 
that  it  was  His  by  dependence  on,  and  submission 
to,  God,  but  whether  permanently  or  on  occasion 
it  is  idle  to  speculate. 

18.  men.  Mark  tells  us  there  were  four. 
taken  with  a  palsy.  R.V.,  "palsied."  Luke 
uses  the  medical,  the  other  Evangelists  the  popular 
term. 

19.  housetop.  The  roof,  to  which  there  might 


ii8   Westminster  New  Testament 

be  an  outside  stair,  or  which  might  be  reached  by 
a  ladder.  The  roofs  were  flat.  through  the 
tiling.  Mark,  more  familiar  than  Luke  with  the 
kind  of  house  in  use  in  Palestine,  gives  a  fuller 
description :  "  they  uncovered  the  roof,  and  when 
they  had  broken  it  up."  We  cannot  quite  under- 
stand how  this  was  done ;  but  the  action  is  not 
incredible.  COUCh.  Luke  uses  a  diminutive,  a 
little  bit  of  a  mat  or  rug,  not  a  heavy  article  of 
furniture. 

20.  their  faith.  The  man's  as  well  as  his 
bearers',  shown  not  merely  in  the  perseverance  of 
the  efforts  to  reach  Jesus,  but  also  in  the  desire 
prompting.  Man.  Mark,  "  Child."  thy  sins  are 
forgiven  thee.  It  is  usually  taken  for  granted 
that  what  the  man  wanted  was  healing,  and  Jesus 
gave  him  what  he  needed,  but  did  not  want.  But 
can  forgiveness  be  given,  if  the  need  of  it  is  not 
felt,  and  there  is  no  desire  for  it?  Some  hold 
that,  as  the  man  probably  regarded  his  illness  as 
the  result  of  his  sin,  he  could  not  exercise  the 
necessary  faith  to  be  healed,  until  he  knew  himself 
forgiven.  But  why  assume  that  the  desire  for 
cure  was  primaiy,  and  the  desire  for  forgiveness 
subordinate  to  it  ?  The  faith  Jesus  rewarded  was 
the  faith  that  most  desired  what  He  first  bestowed. 

21.  began.  As  soon  as  this  opportunity  for 
hostility  was  given  to  them,  saying.  This  does 
not  mean  necessarily  aloud,  as  it  may  be  used  of 
thoughts  (cf.  Matt.  xxi.  25).  blasphemies.  Evil 
speaking  against  man,  or  here  God,  To  claim 
God's  prerogatives  is  to  blaspheme  Him. 

22.  perceived.  By  a  moral  insight,  which  in  its 
degree  was  supernatural,  in  your  hearts.  There 
had  been  no  speech. 


St.  Luke  V.  17-26  119 

23.  As  the  reality  of  the  forgiveness  could  not 
be  tested,  Jesus  offers  the  reality  of  a  cure  that 
can.  In  either  case  His  words  are  not  mere  words, 
but  words  with  power. 

24.  the  Son  of  man.  The  Evangelists  never  use 
this  title  of  Christ,  but  always  put  it  on  the  lips 
of  Christ  Himself.  It  was  His  favourite  designation 
for  Himself  While  used  in  the  Book  of  Enoch  for 
the  Messiah,  it  is  probable  that  it  was  not  com- 
monly so  used,  and  Jesus  in  using  it  did  not 
disclose  the  secret  of  His  Messiahship.  Its  meaning 
on  Jesus'  lips  is  not  to  be  decided  by  the  use  in  the 
Book  of  Enoch.  When  used  in  an  eschatological 
context,  in  reference  to  the  future,  it  seems  to 
bear  the  same  meaning  as  in  Dan.  vii.  13,  14 ;  but 
in  other  contexts  it  seems  rather  to  be  suggested 
by  Ps.  viii.  4.  Jesus  claims  supremacy  among 
men,  not  only  because  of  the  Divine  appointment, 
but  also  because  of  His  affinity  and  sympathy  with 
men.  He  is  the  ideal,  representative,  even  sub- 
stitutionary Man.  The  content  of  the  term  comes 
probably  for  the  most  part  from  Isa.  liii.  power. 
R.V.,  "authority."  Upon  earth.  May  go  either 
with  "authority"  or  to  forgive  sins. 

25.  took  up  .  .  .  lay.  "he  carried  what  had 
carried  him." 

26.  amazed  .  .  .  glorified  .  .  .  filled  with 
fear.  Luke  alone  describes  this  triple  emotional 
effect,     strange  things.    Gr.  "  paradoxes." 


I20   Westminster  New  Testament 


Luke  V.  27-39  (  =  Mark  ii.  13-22  =  Matt.  ix.  9-17). 

THE  CALL  OF  LEVI  AND  THE  QUESTION 
ABOUT  FASTING. 

27  And  after  these  things  he  went  forth,  and  saw  a  publican, 
named  Levi,  sitting  at  the  receipt  of  custom  :  and  he  said 

28  unto   him,    Follow   me.     And   he   left  all,  rose  up,  and 

29  followed  him.  And  Levi  made  him  a  great  feast  in  his 
own  house  :  and  there  was  a  great  company  of  publicans 

30  and  of  others  that  sat  down  with  them.  But  their  scribes 
and  Pharisees  murmured  against  his  disciples,  saying, 
Why  do  ye  eat   and   drink  with   publicans  and  sinners? 

31  And  Jesus  answering  said  unto  them,  They  that  are  whole 

32  need  not  a  physician  ;  but  they  that  are  sick.     I  came  not 

33  to  call  the  righteous,  but  sinners  to  repentance.  And  they 
said  unto  him.  Why  do  the  disciples  of  John  fast  often, 
and   make    prayers,   and    likewise   the    disciples   of    the 

34  Pharisees  ,•  but  thine  eat  and  drink  ?  And  he  said  unto 
them,  Can  ye  make  the  children  of  the  bridechamber  fast 

35  while  the  bridegroom  is  with  them?  But  the  days  will 
come,  when   the  bridegroom   shall  be   taken   away  from 

36  them,  and  then  shall  they  fast  in  those  days.  And  he 
spake  also  a  parable  unto  them  ;  No  man  putteth  a  piece 
of  a  new  garment  upon  an  old  ;  if  otherwise,  then  both 
the  new  maketh  a  rent,  and  the  piece  that  was  taken  out 

37  of  the  new  agreeth  not  with  the  old.  And  no  man  putteth 
new  wine  into  old  bottles  ;  else  the  new  wine  will  burst 
the  bottles,  and  be  spilled,  and  the  bottles  shall  perish. 

38  But  new  wine  must  be  put  into  new  bottles ;  and  both  are 

39  preserved.  No  man  also  having  drunk  old  wine  straight- 
way desireth  new  :  for  he  saith,  The  old  is  better. 

Whether  these  two  incidents  followed  one  an- 
other in  time^  or  not^  there  is  an  obvious  con- 
nection between  them.  Jesus  and  His  disciples 
offended   Jewish   prejudice   not   only   by  feasting 


St.  Luke  V.  27-39  121 

with  publicans  and  sinners^  but  by  feasting  at  all, 
when  fasting  was  regarded  as  much  more  character- 
istic of  piety.  Jesus  defends  both  innovations. 
As  a  physician  He  seeks  the  sick  to  heal  them, 
and  such  a  ministry  cannot  be  sad,  but  must  be 
joyous.  These  two  incidents  follow  the  story  of 
the  paralytic  as  examples  of  the  causes  of  oiFence 
Jesus  gave  to  Jewish  prejudice  in  Mark,  followed 
by  Luke,  but  Matthew  places  both  after  the  return 
from  Gadara, 

27.  went  forth.  From  the  city,  publican  (see 
on  iii.  12).  The  customs  collected  on  the  shores 
of  the  lake  would  go  to  Herod  Antipas,  not  the 
Roman  Government.  The  dues  would  be  levied 
on  merchandise  being  transported  by  the  great 
road  between  Acre  and  Damascus.  Levi.  Mark 
adds,  ^^the  son  of  Alphaeus,"  and  Matthew  has  the 
more  familiar  name  of  this  disciple,  Matthew,  re- 
ceipt of  custom.  R.V.,  "place  of  toll."  Wicliffe, 
"  the  tol  bothe  "  (there  is  a  church  in  Edinburgh 
called  the  Tolbooth).  Rhem.,  "  the  custom-house." 
If  it  was  a  building,  Levi  must  have  been  in  the 
doorway,  or  just  outside. 

28.  left  all.  Characteristically  Luke,  who  re- 
gards riches  as  perilous,  alone  mentions  this. 

29.  The  disciple  at  once  becomes  the  missionary ; 
he  uses  the  best  means  he  knows  of  bringing  his 
former  companions  and  fellow-workers  into  contact 
v/ith  Jesus,  others.  Social  outcasts  also,  as  the 
ordinary  pious  Jew  would  not  have  gone  into  such 
a  house,  or  sat  down  in  such  a  company,  sat 
down.    Better  R.V.,  "were  sitting  at  meat." 

30.  their  scribes.  The  scribes  of  the  Pharisaic 
party,  murmured.  They  had  intruded  themselves 
into  the  house,  which  they  would  have  scorned  to 


122    Westminster  New  Testament 

enter  in  a  friendly  way,  to  express  their  hostility. 
sinners.  All  who  were  not  as  strict  legalists  as 
the  Pharisees  were  so  regarded  by  them. 

31.  While  the  disciples  are  attacked,  Jesus 
defends  Himself,  and  them  along  with  him, 
whole,  Luke  substitutes  this  word  for  the  word 
"strong"  in  Mark,  which  Matthew  also  uses;  a 
physician's  exactitude.  The  argument  is  what 
is  known  as  an  arsumentiim  ad  hominem.  The 
Pharisees  believed  that  they  did  not  need  a 
teacher,  they  could  not  deny  that  these  people  they 
scorned  did.  Should  not  a  teacher  go  where  he 
was  needed  ? 

32.  to  repentance.  Luke  alone  has  this  phrase. 
It  is  an  obvious  explanation  of  Jesus'  intention, 
but  the  saying  is  more  effective  without  it.  Jesus 
regarded  the  sin  of  the  Pharisees  as  worse  than 
that  of  publicans  and  sinners,  and  it  is  only  in  sad 
irony  (taking  them  at  their  own  estimation)  that  He 
dismisses  them  from  His  solicitude  as  rig"hte0US, 
and  so  not  needing  Him. 

SS.  and  they.  Luke  means  the  Pharisees  and 
their  scribes  just  mentioned ;  Matthew  assigns 
the  question  to  disciples  of  John.  Mark  gives  the 
explanation  that  just  at  the  time  "John's  disciples 
and  the  Pharisees  were  fasting."  As  John's 
disciples  were  jealous  of  Jesus  (iii.  26),  it  is  not 
improbable  that  some  of  them  joined  the  Pharisees 
in  this  hostile  inquiry,  fast.  There  were  fasts  on 
Mondays  and  Thursdays,  which  were  kept  by  some 
Pharisees,  and  it  would  seem  from  this  story  by 
John's  disciples  also,  often,  and  make  prayers. 
Luke  alone  has  these  words,  make  prayers 
(cf.  1  Tim.  ii.  1).  At  fixed  times  according  to  rule. 
and  drink.  Also  in  Luke  only. 


St.  Luke  V.  27-39  123 

34.  Possibly  the  guests  at  a  wedding  were  by 
Jewish  custom  exempted  from  rules  of  fasting.  If 
one  exception  can  be  justified,  another  can  on 
good  reason  being  shown.  The  disciples  have 
now  the  joyous  spirit  of  the  wedding,  it  would  be 
inappropriate  for  them  to  fast.  The  saying  would 
appeal  very  strongly  to  John's  disciples,  who  had, 
according  to  the  Fourth  Gospel,  called  Jesus  "  the 
Bridegroom,"  and  himself  '^  the  friend  of  the 
Bridegroom  "  (iii.  29).  children.  R.V.,  "  sons  "  ; 
Hebraism  for  those  nearly  related  to  the  bride  and 
bridegroom. 

35.  when,  "yea,  when."  taken  away.  This 
is  the  first  reference  in  Jesus'  teaching  to  the 
possibility  of  His  separation  from  His  disciples. 
Not  only  had  hostility  begun  to  show  itself,  and 
so  some  danger  might  be  foreseen  ;  but  there  is 
reason  to  believe  that  Jesus  from  His  study  of  the 
O.T.  had,  at  the  very  beginning  of  His  ministry, 
dedicated  Himself  to  the  calling  of  the  Servant 
of  Jehovah,  who  would  save  by  sacrifice,  fast. 
Spontaneously  as  expressive  of  sorrowful  feeling, 
and  not  in  compliance  with  a  requirement.  The 
principle  is  wider  in  its  application.  Outw^ard 
ordinances,  to  have  any  religious  value,  must 
express  inward  emotions,  etc. 

SQ.  parable.  In  the  wider  sense  of  a  com- 
parison. We  use  the  term  generally  in  a  more 
definite  sense  for  a  complete  story  in  which  the 
comparison  is  worked  out.  R.  V.,  "  no  man  rendeth 
a  piece  from  a  new  garment  and  putteth  it  upon 
an  old  garment."  Luke  adds  this  detail  to 
heighten  the  effect,  for  in  Matthew  and  Mark  the 
patch  is  taken  from  a  piece  of  cloth.  There  is 
folly  in  patching  an  old  garment  with  new  cloth, 


124   Westminster  New  Testament 

greater  still  in  spoiling  a  new  garment  to  get  the 
patch,  if  otherwise,  "if  he  acts  otherwise" — 
that  is,  if  he  is  as  foolish  as  to  do  this,  both  the 
new  maketh  a  rent.  Better  R.V.,  «  he  will  rend 
the  new."  The  meaning  of  this  saying  seems  to 
be  this :  the  exemption  Jesus  claims  for  His  dis- 
ciples He  is  not  so  foolish  as  to  wish  to  impose 
either  on  the  Pharisees  or  on  John's  disciples. 
He  will  not  endanger  His  new  cause  by  forcing 
it  into  closer  alliance  with  the  old  causes. 

37,  38.  This  second  figure  states  the  counter- 
part. The  restrictions  that  He  will  not  interfere 
with  either  in  the  Pharisees  or  in  John's  disciples. 
He  will  not  be  so  foolish  as  to  attempt  to  impose 
on  His  disciples.  The  new  cause  must  find  its 
own  forms  of  expression,  and  not  be  forced  into 
the  moulds  of  these  old  causes.  The  contrast 
between  His  movement  and  the  others  is  thus 
illustrated  on  both  sides ;  let  the  new  tolerate  the 
old,  and  the  old  not  hamper  the  new. 

37.  old  bottles.  R.V., ''  old  wine-skins  "  ;  marg., 
"that  is,  skins  used  as  bottles."  Such  bottles, 
made  of  a  single  goat-skin,  are  still  used  in  the 
East  (cf.  Job  xxxii.  19). 

38.  new  bottles.  Better,  "fresh  bottles,"  to 
show  that  another  Greek  word  is  used  than  in  the 
preceding  phrase,  new  wine,  "new"  is  opposed 
to  "old,"  "fresh"  to  "worn  out."  Jesus  here 
claims  freedom  from  the  limitations  of  Jewish 
tradition  and  practice  for  His  new  movement. 
It  was  better  for  both  Judaism  and  the  Gospel 
that  they  should  not  interfere  with  one  another. 

39.  Luke  alone  adds  this  third  saying.  It 
shows  his  generous  and  tolerant  spirit.  Those 
accustomed,  like  the  Pharisees  and  John's  disciples, 


St.  Luke  vi.  i-ii  125 

to  their  religious  ordinances  will  have  no  taste  for 
the  freedom  of  the  Gospel.  The  publican,  un- 
attached to  these  rites,  can  more  readily  throw 
himself  into  a  new  movement.  better.  R.V., 
"good";  the  parable  expresses  not  an  objective 
judgment,  but  a  subjective  taste.  The  Gospel 
and  Judaism  are  not  declared  equally  good. 


Luke  vi.  i-ii  (  =  Mark  ii.  23-iii.  6  =  Matt.  xii.  1-14). 

THE  CHARGE  OF  BREAKING  THE 
SABBATH. 

And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  second  sabbath  after  the  first, 
that  he  went  through  the  corn  fields  ;  and  his  disciples 
plucked  the  ears  of  corn,  and  did  eat,  rubbing  them  in  their 

2  hands.  And  certain  of  the  Pharisees  said  unto  them,  "Why 
do  ye  that  which  is  not  lawful  to  do  on  the  sabbath  days  ? 

3  And  Jesus  answering  them  said,  Have  ye  not  read  so  much 
as  this,  what  David  did,  when  himself  was  an  hungred, 

4  and  they  which  were  with  him  ;  how  he  went  into  the 
house  of  God,  and  did  take  and  eat  the  shewbread,  and 
gave  also  to  them  that  were  with  him  ;  which  it  is  not  law- 

5  ful  to  eat  but  for  the  priests  alone  ?    And  he  said  unto  them, 

6  That  the  Son  of  man  is  Lord  also  of  the  sabbath.  And  it 
came  to  pass  also  on  another  sabbath,  that  he  entered  into 
the  synagogue  and  taught :  and  there  was  a  man  whose 

7  right  hand  was  withered.  And  the  scribes  and  Pharisees 
watched  him,  whether  he  would  heal  on  the  sabbath  day  ; 

8  that  they  might  find  an  accusation  against  him.  But  he 
knew  their  thoughts,  and  said  to  the  man  which  had  the 
withered  hand,  Rise  up,  and  stand  forth  in  the  midst.     And 

9  he  arose  and  stood  forth.  Then  said  Jesus  unto  them,  I 
will  ask  you  one  thing ;  Is  it  lawful  on  the  sabbath  days 
to  do  good,  or  to  do  evil  ?  to  save  life,  or  to  destroy  it  ? 

10  And  looking  round  about  upon  them  all,  he  said  unto  the 


126   Westminster  New  Testament 

man,  Stretch  forth  thy  hand.     And  he  did  so  :  and  his  hand 
II  was   restored  whole  as  the   other.     And  they  were  filled 
with  madness ;  and  communed  one  with  another  what  they 
might  do  to  Jesus. 

Jesus  offended  the  religious  prejudices  of  the 
Jews  by  touching  the  leper,  by  claiming  to  forgive 
sinSj  by  eating  with  publicans  and  sinners,  by 
allowing  the  disciples  not  to  fast,  but  most  of  all 
by  healing  on  the  Sabbath.  Two  instances  are  here 
given  by  Luke,  following  Mark,  while  Matthew  gives 
them  at  a  later  stage  of  the  ministry.  Luke  gives 
two  instances  of  Sabbath  cure  which  the  other 
Evangelists  do  not  (xiii.  10-17,  xiv.  1-6). 

1.  the  second  Sabbath  after  the  first.   R.V., 

"a  sabbath";  marg.,  "Many  ancient  authorities 
insert  second-Jirst."  As  the  balance  of  authority 
is  against  the  genuineness  of  the  word,  we  need 
not  trouble  ourselves  about  the  guesses  which  have 
been  made  as  to  its  meaning,  corn  fields.  In 
Gen.  i.  29  the  word  is  used  of  the  seed,  plucked. 
Allowed  by  Law  (Deut.  xxiii.  25).  rubbing'  them 
in  their  hands.  According  to  the  Rabbis  this 
was  threshing  and  winnowing,  as  plucking  was 
reaping,  and  eating  was  preparing  food,  a  fourfold 
breach  of  the  Sabbath. 

2.  The  Pharisees  address  the  disciples,  but  Jesus 
takes  up  the  challenge. 

3.  SO  much.  R. v.,  "even  this."  Not  what 
David  did  (R.V.  and  A.V.),but  "that  David  did." 
they  that  were  with  him.  The  young  men  who 
joined  him  afterwards,  as  he  was  alone  when  he 
came  to  Nob  (1  Sam.  xxi.  1). 

4.  went  into.  The  story  does  not  mention  this, 
but  Doeg,  who  was  "detained  before  the  Lord," 


St.  Luke  vi.  i-ii  127 

that  isj  in  the  tabernacle,  saw  him  there,  shew- 
bread.  Lit.,  "the  loaves  of  the  setting  forth." 
Twelve  loaves  of  wheaten  bread  put  every  Sabbath 
in  the  Holy  Place.  Various  descriptions  of  these 
are  found  in  O.T.  (see  Ex.  xxv.  30 ;  Num.  iv.  7  ; 
1  Sam.  xxi.  6 ;  1  Kings  vii.  48  ;  but  the  phrase  here 
used  is  found  also  in  Ex.  xxxix.  36  ;  1  Chron.  ix.  32). 
If  hunger  justified  such  a  breach  of  the  Law  in 
David's  case,  why  should  the  hungry  disciples  be 
condemned  ? 

5.  The  transition  of  thought  is  here  abrupt,  but 
Mark  explains  it.  He  inserts  the  saying,  "the 
Sabbath  was  made  for  man,  and  not  man  for  the 
Sabbath."  The  Sabbath  is  a  means  to  man's  good, 
and  if  man's  good  require  it,  its  claim  can  be  set 
aside.  But  who  shall  determine  when  the  end 
justifies  this  subordination  of  the  means.  The 
answer  is :  He  who  represents  man  is  charged 
with  man's  interests,  and  can  assert  man's  freedom. 
The  Son  of  Man  is  Lord  of  the  Sabbath.  In 
John  V.  17  Jesus  is  represented  as  taking  the  higher 
ground  that  as  Son  He  follows  the  example  of  His 
Father,  ever  working. 

6.  In  this  second  instance,  peculiar  to  Luke 
are  the  statements,  that  Jesus  was  teaching  in  a 
synagogue,  and  that  the  hand  was  the  right  one 
(the  medical  interest). 

7.  watched.  An  unfriendly  close  regard,  "  side- 
ways out  of  the  corner  of  the  eyes." 

8.  the  withered  hand.  Better  R.V.,"  his  hand 
withered." 

9.  I  will  ask  you  one  thing.  A  wrong  read- 
ing. R.V.,  is  correct,  "  I  ask  you."  Not  to  do 
good  is  to  do  harm ;  not  to  save  a  life  is  to  destroy ; 
not  to  heal,  when  able,  is  to  inflict  suffering  and 


128   Westminster  New  Testament 

loss.  This  is  Christ's  argument.  The  Rabbis 
allowed  that  the  life  of  a  Jew  might  be  saved  on 
the  Sabbath,  and  that  dangerous  illnesses  might  be 
attended  to.  But  more  is  implied.  In  plotting 
against  Him  were  they  not  guilty  of  breaking  the 
Sabbath  ? 

10.  looking  round.  Mark  adds,  ^^with  anger, 
being  grieved  at  the  hardening  of  their  hearts." 
Why  did  Luke  omit  this?  Did  he  think  anger 
unworthy  of  Jesus?  stretch  forth.  The  effort 
would  show  the  necessary  faith  to  be  cured. 

11.  madness.  R.V.  marg., '^foolishness";  due 
to  extreme  excitement,  communed.  Mark  tells 
us  that  they  "  straightway  took  counsel  with  the 
Herodians  against  Him,  how  they  might  destroy 
Him."  Herod's  courtiers  might  persuade  Herod 
to  treat  Jesus  as  the  Baptist  had  been  treated. 


(JB)  The  Second  Stage  of  the  Ministry  in 
Galilee  (Luke  vi.  12-viii.  56). 

Luke  vi.  19  ( =  Mark  iii.  13-19,  7-8  =  Matt.  x.  2-4, 
iv.  25,  V.  I  ;  cf.  Acts  i.  13). 

THE  CHOICE  OF  THE  TWELVE  APOSTLES. 

12  And  it  came  to  pass  in  those  days,  that  he  went  out  into  a 
mountain  to  pray,  and  continued  all  night  in  prayer  to  God. 

13  And  when  it  was  day,  he  called  unto  him  his  disciples  : 
and  of  them  he  chose  twelve,  whom  also  he  named  apostles  ; 

14  Simon,    (whom   he  also  named   Peter,)  and   Andrew  his 

15  brother,  James  and  John,  Philip  and  Bartholomew,  Mat- 
thew and  Thomas,  James  the  son  of  Alphseus,  and  Simon 

16  called  Zelotes,  and  Judas  the  brother  of  James,  and  Judas 

17  Iscariot,  which  also  was  the  traitor.     And  he  came  down 


St.  Luke  vi.  12-19  129 

with  them,  and  stood  in  the  plain,  and  the  company  of  his 
disciples,  and  a  great  multitude  of  people  out  of  all  Judaea 
and  Jerusalem,  and  from  the  sea  coast  of  Tyre  and  Sidon, 
which  came  to  hear  him,  and  to  be  healed  of  their  diseases  ; 

18  and  they  that  were  vexed  with  unclean  spirits  :  and  they 

19  were  healed.  And  the  whole  multitude  sought  to  touch 
him  :  for  there  went  virtue  out  of  him,  and  healed  them 
all. 

Luke  here  combines  two  passages  from  Mark 
in  reverse  order.  He  places  the  account  of  the 
choice  of  the  Twelve  before  the  description  of  the 
multitudes  who  gathered  around  Jesus.  He  pre- 
faces this  by  a  characteristic  reference  to  a  night 
spent  by  Jesus  in  prayer  (ver.  12). 

13.  disciples.  The  larger  circle  of  adherents 
from  whom  the  Twelve  were  chosen.  We  must 
not  forget  this  wider  influence  of  Jesus,  named 
apostles.  Probably  this  term  was  not  used  till 
later.  Matthew  (x.  2),  Mark  (vi.  30),  and  John  (xiii. 
l6,  R.V.  marg.)  have  it  once,  Luke  six  times  in  the 
Gospel  (here  and  ix.  10,  xi.  49,  xvii.  5,  xxii.  14, 
xxiv.  10),  but  this  seems  an  anticipation  of  later 
usage. 

14-16.  The  four  lists  agree  except  as  to  one 
name.  Luke  here  and  in  Acts  i.  13  has  Judas  of 
James,  while  Matthew  (x.  3)  and  Mark  (iii.  18)  have 
Thaddceus.  Lebhcetis,  in  Matt.  x.  3,  an  alternative 
to  Thaddaeus,  is  not  a  genuine  reading,  and  is 
omitted  in  R.V.  If  Thaddaeus  is  a  surname,  not 
of  Lebbaeus,  but  of  Judas  of  James,  the  lists  are 
identical. 

14.  Peter.  The  name  was  not  first  given  to  Peter 
on  this  occasion,  but  it  becomes  his  official  name, 
and  from  this  point  Luke  uses  it  only  (cf.  Acts 
xiii.  9).    Andrew,  one  of  the  earliest  disciples,  does 

9 


i^o 


Westminster  New  Testament 


not  belong  to  the  inner  circle  as  do  his  brother  and 
the  sons  of  Zebedee  (see  Mark  i.  l6,  29,  xiii.  3 ; 
Matt.  iv.  18).  John  has  more  to  tell  of  him  than 
the  Synoptists  (i.  41,  44,  vi.  8,  xii.  22).  James 
and  John.  The  order  of  age ;  although  John 
became  more  prominent,  yet  James  was  the  first 
martyr  (Acts  xii.  2).  If  Salome,  their  mother,  was 
the  sister  of  the  Virgin  Mary  (John  xix.  25),  they 
were  Jesus'  first  cousins.  Mark  tells  us  that  they  were 
^^surnamed  Boanerges,  which  is.  Sons  of  thunder." 
Philip  (see  John  i.  44-49,  vi.  5-7,  xii.  21,  22,  xiv. 
8,  9)  had  some  connection  with  Andrew  (Mark  iii. 
18  ;  Acts  i.  13),  but  what  it  was  we  do  not  know. 
Bartholomew,  "the  son  of  Tolmai,"  generally 
identified  with  Nathanael  (John  xxi.  2). 

15.  Matthew  was  also  called  Levi  (Mark  ii. 
14).  Matthew  adds,  "the  publican."  His  call 
has  already  been  described.  Thomas,  called 
Didyrnus,  "Twin"  (John  xi.  l6;  see  also  xiv.  5, 
XX.  24-29,  xxi.  2),  is  mentioned  with  Matthew, 
and  they  may  have  been  twins.  JameS  the  SOn 
of  Alphseus.  Gr.  "James  of  Alphaeus."  Levi, 
or  Matthew  was  also  son  of  Alphaeus  (Mark  ii. 
14),  but  we  have  no  ground  for  identification  of 
the  two  men,  though  bearing  the  same  name. 
This  James  must  not  be  identified  with  the  brother 
of  the  Lord,  who  afterwards  became  head  of  the 
church  in  Jerusalem  (Matt.  xiii.  55  ;  Mark  vi.  3  ; 
Acts  xii.  17,  XV.  13;  Gal.  i.  19,  ii.  9,  12),  but  he 
may  be  the  same  as  James  the  Little  (Mark  xv.  40  ; 
Matt,  xxvii.  56 ;  John  xix.  25),  as  Alphaeus  and 
Clopas  may  be  Greek  variants  of  the  Aramaic  Chal- 
pai.  Zelotes.  R. v.,  "the  Zealot."  Matthew  and 
Mark  have  '^Cananean,"  R.V.  (not  "Canaanite," 
A. v.),  which  is  the  Aramaic  equivalent  of  Zealot ^  a 


St.  Luke  vi.  20-49  '3' 

member  of  the  Jewish  party  who  desired  to  throw 
off  the  Roman  yoke  by  force. 

16.  Judas  the  brother  of  James.  E.V., 
"Judas  the  son  of  James."  R.V.  Gr.,  "Judas  of 
James."  The  R.V.  alone  is  possible.  There  were 
two  Judases  (John  xiv.  22),  and  this  Judas  (not 
Iscariot)  may  be  identified  with  Thaddaeus. 
Iscariot.  "  Man  of  Kerioth/'  a  place  in  Judah 
(Josh.  XV.  25)  or  Moab  (Jer.  xlviii.  24),  the  only 
apostle  not  a  Galilaean.  also  was.  Should  be 
"  became."  This  is  a  fact  stated,  not  a  designa- 
tion. When  Jesus  chose  him,  doubtless  his  inten- 
tions were  good  ;  disappointment  when  Jesus  did 
not  prove  the  Messiah  he  wanted  and  expected, 
rather  than  covetousness,  was  the  motive  of  his 
betrayal.     This  Jesus  did  not  and  could  not  foresee. 

17-19.  Luke  differs  considerably  in  language 
from  the  parallel  passages  in  Matthew  and  Mark. 

17.  the  plain.  Either  a  plateau  lower  than 
the  hill-top,  or  the  plain  at  the  foot,  more  probably 
the  latter,  stood.  While  healing,  not  afterwards 
when  preaching  (Matt.  v.  1,  2).  Christ  and  the 
Twelve,  the  disciples,  and  the  people  form  three 
groups. 

19.  The  Evangelist  here  suggests  a  superstitious 
view.  There  was  no  magic  in  Jesus'  miracles. 
The  appeal  of  faith,  even  by  touch,  found  the 
ready  response  of  grace. 


THE  SERMON  ON  THE  MOUNT. 

Luke  vi.  20-49. 

There  can  be  little  doubt  that  this  discourse,  which 
Luke  seems  to  place  on  the  plain  (ver.  17)  rather 


132   Westminster  New  Testament 

than  on  the  Mount,  is  identical  with  the  Sermon  on 
the  Mount  (Matt,  v.-vii.).  It  is  very  much  shorter, 
for  on  the  one  hand  Luke  omits  all  that  was  not  of 
interest  to  Gentiles,  as  defining  the  relation  of  the 
Gospel  to  Judaism  ;  and  on  the  other,  Matthew,  as  is 
his  wont,  gathers  together  utterances  that  do  not 
belong  to  the  same  occasion.  That  Jesus  did  at 
this  crisis  of  His  ministry  deliver  a  more  formal 
discourse  than  was  His  usual  custom  seems  beyond 
question.  It  probably  included  all  that  Matthew 
reports  about  the  contrast  of  the  Old  Law  and  the 
New  Life,  and  of  the  disciples'  and  Pharisaic  piety. 
The  Beatitudes  in  some  form,  the  teaching  about 
love,  the  warnings  against  judging  and  false  guides, 
the  summons  to  do  as  well  as  hear,  as  also  the 
illustrative  parables,  which  Luke  includes  in  his 
report,  all  probably  belonged  to  it,  although  sayings 
from  other  occasions  have  also  slipped  in.  Mark 
does  not  give  the  Sermon,  and  so  Luke  and  Mat- 
thew drew  from  the  second  common  source  (Q). 


Luke  vi.  20-26  (of.  Matt.  v.  3-12). 
BLESSINGS  AND  WOES. 

20  And  he  lifted  up  his  eyes  on  his  disciples,  and  said,  Blessed 

21  be  ye  poor  :  for  yours  is  the  kingdom  of  God.  Blessed  are 
ye  that  hunger  now  :  for  ye  shall  be  filled.     Blessed  are  ye 

22  that  weep  now  :  for  ye  shall  laugh.  Blessed  are  ye,  when 
men  shall  hate  you,  and  when  they  shall  separate  you  from 
their  company,  and  shall  reproach  you,  and  cast  out  your 

23  name  as  evil,  for  the  Son  of  man's  sake.  Rejoice  ye  in 
that  day,  and  leap  for  joy  :  for,  behold,  your  reward  is 
great  in  heaven  :  for  in  the  like  manner  did  their  fathers 

24  unto  the  prophets.     But  woe  unto  you  that  are  rich  !  for 

25  ye  have  received  your  consolation.     Woe  unto  you  that 


St.  Luke  vi.  20-26  133 

are  full !  for  ye  shall  hunger.     Woe  unto  you  that  laugh 
26  now  !  for  ye  shall  mourn  and  weep.     Woe  unto  you,  when 
all  men  shall  speak  well  of  you  !  for  so  did  their  fathers  to 
the  false  prophets. 

The  blessings  (vers.  20-24)  correspond  to  Matt.  v. 
3,  4f,  6,  10-12,  and  are  taken  from  the  common 
source  (Q),  but  there  are  very  marked  differences. 
In  Luke  we  have  the  second  person,  direct  address 
to  the  disciples  ;  in  Matthew  the  third  person,  or 
general  statement.  On  this  point  Harnack  decides 
for  Matthew  as  the  original,  on  the  ground  that 
elsewhere  Luke  changes  the  third  to  the  second 
person ;  but  if  Jesus  was  addressing  His  disciples, 
the  second  person  seems  more  probable.  There 
seems  little  doubt  that  "in  spirit"  after  *'poor  "  in 
ver.  3,  and  "  and  thirst  after  righteousness  "  after 
"hunger"  in  ver.  6,  are  additions  by  Matthew.  Luke 
seems  to  have  changed  the  more  abstract  "mourn," 
in  ver.  4  in  Matthew,  into  the  more  concrete  7veep. 
Luke  represents  Jesus  as  pronouncing  blessed  the 
literally  poor,  hungry,  weeping;  Matthew  by  his 
changes  desires  to  suggest  spiritual  conditions  of 
blessedness.  The  woes  in  vers.  24-26  are  peculiar 
to  Luke.  It  seems  easy  to  suggest  that  the 
Evangelist  himself  composed  them  as  the  counter- 
part of  the  blessings,  but  it  is  more  probable  that 
he  derived  them  from  some  independent  tradition. 
Jesus  did  pronounce  woes  on  the  Pharisees. 
While  we  have  no  good  ground  for  finding  in 
this  passage  evidence  of  Luke's  Ebionitism,  yet  he 
does  emphasise  one  feature  in  Jesus'  teaching — 
the  peril  of  wealth,  and  the  advantage  of  poverty 
for  the  good  and  godly  life. 

20.  poor.   Some  of  the  disciples  had  surrendered 


134   Westminster  New  Testament 

their  calling,  home,  and  wealth  for  Jesus.  He  assures 
them  it  will  be  their  gain,  is  the  kingdom  of 
God.  A  present  possession,  although  its  blessings 
are  not  yet  fully  enjoyed,  but  are  certainly  assured. 

21.  These  are  compensations  for  present  priva- 
tions for  the  Kingdom  (cf.  Matt.  xix.  28,  29). 

22.  separate.  Literally,  '^  mark  you  off  from  by  a 
boundary"  (Acts  xiii.  2;  Rom.  i.  1;  Gal.  i.  15). 
Ecclesiastical  excommunication  and  social  "boy- 
cott" are  both  included,  cast  OUt,  etc.  Reject 
with  scorn  and  hate  as  evil,  for  the  Son  of 
man's  sake.  Matthew  has  "for  My  sake."  All 
persecution  is  not  blessed ;  it  must  be  endured 
for  a  worthy  cause. 

23.  leap.  Cf.  i.  41.  prophets.  Theirs  will  be, 
therefore,  "a  prophet's  reward"  (Matt.  x.  41). 

24.  woe  (cf.  Amos  vi.  1  and  Isa.  Ixv.  13). 
While  Jesus'  enemies  were  mostly  rich,  a  Nico- 
demus  and  a  Joseph  of  Arimathea  were  favourable 
to  Him.  have  received,  ^^ye  have  to  the  full." 
No  more  is  due,  and  no  more  can  be  hoped  for 
(cf.  xvi.  25  ;  Matt.  vi.  2,  5). 

25.  full,  "sated  with  the  good  things  of  this 
life."  hunger.  Probably  intended  literally  as  a 
warning  of  judgment  to  come,  laugh.  With  joy 
at  their  own  prosperity.  mourn  and  weep. 
When  the  judgment  falls  upon  you. 

26.  The  world's  praise  is  given  only  to  those 
who  follow  the  world's  ways,  and  so  to  the 
disciples  is  a  warning  of  moral  and  spiritual  peril 
(John  XV.  19 ;  Jas.  iv.  4).  false  prophets  (see 
Isa.  XXX.  10;  Jer.  v.  31;  Mic.  ii.  11).  They 
pretended  to  speak  for  God,  but  pandered  to 
the  people's  wishes  and  hopes. 


St.  Luke  vi.  27-38  135 


Luke  vi.  27-38  (cf.  Matt.  v.  38-48,  vii.  i,  2,  12 ;  and 
Mark  iv.  24). 

THE  LAW  OF   LOVE. 

27  But  I  say  unto  you  which  hear,  Love  your  enemies,  do 

28  good  to  them  which  hate  you,  bless  them  that  curse  you, 

29  and  pray  for  them  which  despitefully  use  you.  And  unto 
him  that  smiteth  thee  on  the  one  cheek  offer  also  the  other  : 
and  him  that  taketh  [away  thy  cloke  forbid  not  to  take 

30  thy  coat  also.  Give  to  every  man  that  asketh  of  thee ; 
and  of  him  that  taketh  away  thy  goods  ask  them  not  again. 

31  And  as  ye  would  that  men  should  do  to  you,  do  ye  also  to 

32  them  likewise.  For  if  ye  love  them  which  love  you,  what 
thank  have  ye  ?  for  sinners  also  love  those  that  love  them. 

33  And  if  ye  do  good  to  them  which  do  good  to  you,  what 

34  thank  have  ye  ?  for  sinners  also  do  even  the  same.  And  if 
ye  lend  to  them  of  whom  ye  hope  to  receive,  what  thank 
have  ye  ?  for   sinners  also  lend  to  sinners,  to  receive  as 

35  much  again.  But  love  ye  your  enemies,  and  do  good,  and 
lend,  hoping  for  nothing  again  ;  and  your  reward  shall  be 
great,  and  ye  shall  be  the  children  of  the  Highest :  for  he 

36  is  kind  unto  the  unthankful  and  to  the  evil.     Be  ye  there- 

37  fore  merciful,  as  your  Father  also  is  merciful.  Judge  not, 
and  ye  shall  not  be  judged  :  condemn  not,  and  ye  shall  not 

38  be  condemned :  forgive,  and  ye  shall  be  forgiven  :  give, 
and  it  shall  be  given  unto  you ;  good  measure,  pressed 
down,  and  shaken  together,  and  running  over,  shall  men 
give  into  your  bosom.  For  with  the  same  measure  that  ye 
mete  withal  it  shall  be  measured  to  you  again. 

The  relation  of  the  disciple  to  the  Jewish  law 
or  Pharisaic  piety  has  no  interest  for  Luke  or 
his  Gentile  reader,  but  the  supreme  law  of  the 
Kingdom  of  God — love — has  supreme  interest  as 
of  universal  application. 

27,  28.  But.    In  Luke  the  contrast  is  between 


136   Westminster  New  Testament 

the  worldling  on  whom  the  woes  have  been  pro- 
nounced, and  the  disciple  who  is  ruled  by  love ;  in 
the  original  source  the  contrast  is  between  the 
-law  of  retaliation  (Matt.  v.  43)  and  Jesus'  "new 
commandment."  hear,  "hear  and  obey."  enemies 
.  .  .  hate  (cf.  Ps.  xviii.  17,  cvi.  10),  curse,  de- 
spitefully  use.  The  three  stages  of  enmity, 
feeling,  speech,  deed.  The  principle  is  expanded 
in  Rom.  xii.  17,  21  ;  1  Thess.  v.  15;  1  Pet.  iii. 
9.  A  good  corresponding  to  the  evil  is  to  be 
returned. 

29,  30.  These  are  illustrations  of  the  principle  of 
non-retaliation ;  not  only  is  evil  not  to  be  returned 
for  evil,  and  all  the  good  be  done  that  is  possible, 
but  there  is  to  be  a  willingness  to  suffer  even  more 
injury  and  loss  than  hate  itself  seeks  to  inflict. 
These  are  not  precepts  to  be  literally  and  uni- 
versally observed  ;  the  application  of  the  principle 
is  always  to  be  guided  by  the  wisdom  of  love.  No 
personal  resentment  or  vengeance  is  Christian, 
but  there  may  be  restraint  of  violence  and  resist- 
ance of  wrong  in  the  interests  of  love  itself,  as  in 
the  treatment  of  crime  in  a  civilised  state. 

29.  smiteth.  A  violent  blow  with  the  fist  on 
the  jaw-bone  is  meant,  cloke  (himation).  Better, 
"tunic."  coat  {chiton).  Better,  "shirt."  This 
is  the  violent  spoliation ;  Matthew  describes 
the  legal  distraint,  the  chiton  before  the  himation 
(v.  40). 

30.  every  man.  Not  in  Matt.  v.  42.  Luke  loves 
the  word  "all."  Here,  too,  the  wisdom  of  love  is 
required  in  application.  To  grant  some  requests 
would  be  to  inflict  injury  and  not  to  confer  benefit. 
Generosity  is  not  to  be  restrained  by  selfishness. 
The  latter  part  of  the  saying  in  Matthew  runs. 


St.  Luke  vi.  27-38  137 

''from  him  that  would  borrow  of  thee  turn  thou 
not  away."  Marshall  thinks  that  both  forms  can 
be  explained  as  variant  translations  of  a  common 
Aramaic. 

31.  A  general  principle  that  goes  far  beyond 
the  particular  instance.  This  precept  is  found, 
but  only  in  negative  form,  elsewhere  (Tobit, 
Isocrates,  Stoics,  Buddhism,  Confucius).  The  posi- 
tive foiTii  obviously  gives  it  enormous  extension. 

32-38.  Christian  love  is  to  be  disinterested,  but 
its  recompense  is  from  God.  thank.  Literally, 
"favour"  from  God.  sinners.  Matthew  has 
"publicans"  and  "Gentiles,"  more  concrete  in- 
stances from  the  Jewish  standpoint. 

34.  Peculiar  to  Luke,  but  compare  Matt.  v.  42 
with  Prov.  xix.  17. 

S5.  but.  Instead  of  interested,  let  there  be 
disinterested  love,  hoping  for  nothing  again. 
R.V.,  "never  despairing";  R.V.  marg.,  " despair- 
ing of  no  man."  The  reading  of  the  R.V.  marg. 
is  not  sufficiently  attested.  The  R.V.  rendering 
is  to  be  preferred  to  the  A.V.  Never  lose  heart 
or  hope  that  good  will  at  last  overcome  evil. 
children.  R.V.,  "sons."  of  the  Highest.  Cf. 
Matt.  V.  9. 

37,  38.  Charity  in  judgment  and  generosity  in 
giving  are  further  applications  of  the  law  of  love, 
men.  R.V.  "they"  who  carry  out  God's  purpose, 
bosom.  "The  fold  formed  by  a  loose  garment 
overhanging  a  girdle."  Man's  generosity  is  re- 
warded by  God's  grace. 


138   Westminster  New  Testament 

Luke  vi.  39-49  (cf.  Matt.  xv.  14,  x.  24,  25,  vii.  3-5,  16-18, 
20,  xii.  33,  35,  vii.  21,  24-27). 

BLIND   GUIDES,   THE  TREE  AND   ITS 
FRUITS,   HEARING  AND   DOING. 

39  And  he  spake  a  parable  unto  them,  Can  the  blind  lead  the 

40  blind  ?  shall  they  not  both  fall  into  the  ditch  ?  The 
disciple  is  not  above  his  master  :   but  every  one  that  is 

41  perfect  shall  be  as  his  master.  And  why  beholdest  thou 
the  mote  that  is  in  thy  brother's  eye,  but  perceivest  not  the 

42  beam  that  is  in  thine  own  eye?  Either  how  canst  thou 
say  to  thy  brother.  Brother,  let  me  pull  out  the  mote  that 
is  in  thine  eye,  when  thou  thyself  beholdest  not  the  beam 
that  is  in  thine  own  eye  ?  Thou  hypocrite,  cast  out  first 
the  beam  out  of  thine  own  eye,  and  then  shalt  thou  see 
clearly  to  pull  out  the  mote  that  is  in  thy  brother's  eye. 

43  For  a  good  tree  bringeth  not  forth  corrupt  fruit ;  neither 

44  doth  a  corrupt  tree  bring  forth  good  fruit.  For  every  tree 
is  known  by  his  own  fruit.     For  of  thorns  men  do  not 

45  gather  figs,  nor  of  a  bramble  bush  gather  they  grapes.  A 
good  man  out  of  the  good  treasure  of  his  heart  bringeth 
forth  that  which  is  good ;  and  an  evil  man  out  of  the  evil 
treasure  of  his  heart  bringeth  forth  that  which  is  evil  :  for 

46  of  the  abundance  of  the  heart  his  mouth  speaketh.  And 
why  call  ye   me,   Lord,   Lord,   and   do    not    the    things 

47  which  I  say  ?  Whosoever  cometh  to  me,  and  heareth  my 
sayings,  and  doeth  them,  I  will  shew  you  to  whom  he  is 

48  like :  he  is  like  a  man  which  built  an  house,  and  digged 
deep,  and  laid  the  foundation  on  a  rock :  and  when  the 
flood  arose,  the  stream  beat  vehemently  upon  that  house, 
and  could  not  shake  it  :  for  it  was  founded  upon  a  rock. 

49  But  he  that  heareth,  and  doeth  not,  is  like  a  man  that 
without  a  foundation  built  an  house  upon  the  earth  ; 
against  which  the  stream  did  beat  vehemently,  and 
immediately  it  fell ;  and  the  ruin  of  that  house  was 
great. 


St.  Luke  vi.  39-49  139 

The  third  part  of  the  discourse  begins  with 
ver.  39'  It  is  all  derived  from  the  second  common 
source,  but  sayings  are  here  brought  together 
which  are  not  all  found  in  the  same  context  in 
Matthew.  The  three  main  topics  are  suggested 
by  the  title  given  above  to  this  passage. 

39-42.  With  the  exception  of  ver.  40,  which 
seems  out  of  place  here,  the  common  subject  of 
these  verses  is  this ;  self-judgment  is  the  necessary 
qualification  for  the  judgment  of  others ;  he  must 
himself  know  the  way  who  would  lead  others  in  it. 

39-  a  parable.  See  on  v.  36.  Cf.  Matt.  xv.  14. 
into  a  ditch.  R.V.,  "into  a  pit,"  is  better.  In 
Palestine  there  are  many  wells  without  walls,  etc. 

40.  Cf.  Matt.  X.  24,  where  the  saying  means  that 
scholars  must  not  look  for  better  treatment  than 
their  teachers  get.  Here,  to  fit  it  into  the  context 
to  which  probably  it  does  not  belong,  it  would 
mean  :  like  teacher,  like  scholar  ;  if  the  teacher  is 
blind,  the  scholars  won't  see.  The  second  part 
means  that  when  the  scholar  has  learned  all  the 
teacher  can  impart,  he  cannot  be  wiser  than  his 
teacher.  that  is  perfect.  R.V.,  "when  he  is 
perfected  "  ;  when  he  has  completed  his  education. 

41,  42.  The  first  qualification  of  a  teacher  is 
self-judgment ;  he  must  discover  his  own  faults  if 
he  is  to  expose  the  faults  of  others. 

41.  mote.  Literally,  "  anything  small  and  dry," 
as  chips,  twigs,  etc.  perceivest.  R.V.,  "con- 
siderest."     Fixed  attention  is  implied. 

42.  either  how.  How  can  the  imperfect  in 
self-satisfaction  presume  to  censure  the  imper- 
fection of  another.^  hypocrite.  Playing  the 
censor  of  morals,  when  not  sensible  of  his  own 
defects  ;  this  is  moral  unreality  at  its  worst. 


I40   Westminster  New  Testament 

43,  44.  The  connection  of  thought  is  this  :  a 
man  that  is  not  good  himself  cannot  be  of  any  use 
in  making  others  good ;  he  who  is  not  honest  with 
himself  cannot  help  others  to  be  honest  with 
themselves,  for  a  man's  influence  and  service 
correspond  to  his  character.  For  the  kind  of  tree 
determines  the  kind  of  fruit. 

43.  corrupt.  Literally,  "  rotten,  putrid  "  ;  fig., 
"  worthless." 

45.  This  verse  forms  the  transition  to  the  next 
section.  Naturally  a  man's  speech  betrays  what  he 
is — good  or  bad ;  but  unnaturally  some  may  profess 
a  discipleship  which  they  do  not  practise ;  and 
against  this  the  final  warning  (46-49)  is  directed. 

46-49.  This  corresponds  to  the  conclusion  of  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount  in  Matt.  vii.  24-27. 

48.  digged  deep.  R.V.,  "digged  and  went 
deep."  founded  upon  a  rock.  R.V.,  "because 
it  had  been  well  builded."  This  is  the  better 
reading. 

49.  earth.  R.V.  adds,  "without  a  foundation." 
fell.  R.V.,  "fell  in,"  is  much  more  expressive. 
The  teaching  which  obeyed  brings  blessing,  re- 
jected brings  judgment. 

Luke  vii.  i-io  (cf.  Matt.  viii.  5-13). 
CURE  OF  THE  CENTURION'S  SERVANT. 

Now  when  he  had  ended  all  his  sayings  in  the  audience  of 

2  the  people,  he  ent'^red  into  Capernaum.     And  a   certain 
centurion's  servant,  who  was  dear  unto  him,  was  sick,  and 

3  ready  to  die.     And  when  he  heard  of  Jesus,  he  sent  unto 
him  the  elders  of  the  Jews,  beseeching  him  that  he  would 

4  come  and  heal  his  servant.     And  when  they  came  to  Jesus, 
they  besought  him  instantly,  saying,  That  he  was  worthy 


St.  Luke  vii.  i-io  141 

5  for  whom  he  should  do  this :  for  he  loveth  our  nation,  and 

6  he  hath  built  us  a  synagogue.  Then  Jesus  went  with 
them.  And  when  he  was  now  not  far  from  the  house,  the 
centurion  sent  friends  to  him,  saying  unto  him,  Lord, 
trouble  not  thyself  :  for  I  am  not  worthy  that  thou  shouldst 

7  enter  under  my  roof :  wherefore  neither  thought  I  myself 
worthy  to   come   unto  thee  :  but  say  in  a  word,  and  my 

8  servant  shall  be  healed.  For  I  also  am  a  man  set  under 
authority,  having  under  me  soldiers,  and  I  say  unto  one, 
Go,  and  he  goeth  ;  and  to  another.  Come,  and  he  cometh  ; 

9  and  to  my  servant,  Do  this,  and  he  doeth  it.  When  Jesus 
heard  these  things,  he  marvelled  at  him,  and  turned  him 
about,  and  said  unto  the  people  that  followed  him,  I  say 
unto  you,  I  have  not  found  so  great  faith,  no,  not  in  Israel. 

10  And  they  that  were  sent,  returning  to  the  house,  found  the 
servant  whole  that  had  been  sick. 

The  first  verse  should  be  attached  to  the  pre- 
ceding passage,  as  its  conclusion.  The  centurion 
did  not  send  for  Jesus  as  soon  as  he  reached  Caper- 
naum. Matthew  and  Luke  both  derive  the  material 
from  Q.  It  is  not  probable  that  this  incident  is 
the  same  as  John  iv.  4<6-54<. 

2.  centurion.  A  captain  over  one  hundred 
soldiers,  probably  in  the  service  of  Herod  Antipas ; 
a  Gentile  (ver.  9)^  but  one  attached  to  Judaism 
(ver.  5) ;  a  kind  man,  as  his  concern  for  his  slave 
shows,  dear.  "  precious  "  or  "  honourable  "  (R.V. 
marg. :  cf.  Phil.  ii.  29 ;   1  Pet.  ii.  4,  6). 

3.  elders.  Not  necessarily  rulers  of  the  syna- 
gogue, but  leading  citizens,  heal.  R.V.,  ^^save"  ; 
Gr.  "bring  safe  through." 

5.  loveth.  Probably  he  was  not  a  proselyte, 
but  one  instructed  in,  and  with  an  admiration 
for,  Judaism,  built  US.  Borne  the  expense  of 
building,     a.    R.V.,    "  our."      We   do    not   know 


142   Westminster  New  Testament 

whether  there  was  more  than  one  synagogue  in 
Capernaum. 

6,  7.  sent  friends.  Matthew  abridges  and  says 
nothing  about  these  two  deputations^  but  represents 
the  centurion  as  coming  himself,  trouble  not  thy- 
self. "  cease  to  trouble  thyself" — that  is,  "  come  no 
further."  worthy.  Gr.  "sufficient."  A  Gentile's, 
but  not  a  proselyte's  house,  would  defile  a  Jew, 
and  the  centurion  desires  Jesus  to  avoid  the  defile- 
ment, or  any  breach  of  Jewish  law — which  was  un- 
necessary, as  he  was  confident  that  Jesus'  word 
was  with  power,     servant.    Gr.  "boy." 

8.  This  verse  gives  the  reason  why  he  did  not 
ask  Jesus  to  come  under  his  roof.  As  a  man,  both 
subject  to  and  exercising  authority,  he  desired 
Jesus  to  exercise  His  authority  in  healing  disease 
without  setting  aside  the  authority  of  the  Jewish 
law  to  which  He  was  subject.  As  he  both  obeyed 
and  commanded,  so  he  is  willing  Jesus  should. 

9-  faith.  The  centurion  had  the  insight  that 
not  only  Jesus'  personal  presence  was  not  neces- 
sary, but  also  that  Jesus  was  Himself  subject  to 
law,  and  exercised  authority  in  obedience. 

10.  whole.  Literally,  "in  good  health" — that  is, 
completely  restored. 

Luke  vii.  11-17. 

THE  RAISING  OF  THE  YOUNG  MAN 
OF  NAIN. 

1 1  And  it  came  to  pass  the  day  after,  that  he  went  into  a  city 
called  Nain  ;  and  many  of  his  disciples  went  with  him,  and 

12  much  people.  Now  when  he  came  nigh  to  the  gate  of 
the  city,  behold,  there  was  a  dead  man  carried  out,  the 
only  son  of  his  mother,  and  she  was  a  widow  :  and  much 


St.  Luke  vii.  11-17 


143 


13  people  of  the  city  was  with  her.  And  when  the  Lord  saw 
her,  he  had  compassion  on  her,  and  said  unto  her,  Weep 

14  not.  And  he  came  and  touched  the  bier  :  and  they  that 
bare  him  stood  still.     And   he   said,    Young    man,  I  say 

15  unto  thee,  arise.     And  he  that  was  dead  sat  up,  and  began 

16  to  speak.  And  he  delivered  him  to  his  mother.  And 
there  came  a  fear  on  all :  and  they  glorified  God,  saying, 
That  a  great  prophet  is  risen  up  amongst  us  ;  and.  That 

17  God  hath  visited  his  people.  And  this  rumour  of  him 
went  forth  throughout  all  Judaea,  and  throughout  all  the 
region  round  about. 


Luke  alone  records  this  miracle.  It  is  worth 
noting  that  the  three  records  of  raising  from  the 
dead  strikingly  differ :  the  daughter  of  Jairus  has 
just  died  (Mark  v.  35)  ;  this  young  man  was  being 
borne  to  the  grave :  Lazarus  had  lain  in  the  grave  four 
days  (John  xi.  17).  These  differences  are  not  due 
to  literary  invention,  as  has  been  maintained,  Luke 
outbidding  Mark,  and  John  Luke  in  heightening 
the  wonder.  The  suggestion  that  Jairus'  daughter 
had  fallen  into  a  trance,  from  which  Jesus  roused 
her,  cannot  with  any  appearance  of  probability  even 
be  applied  to  these  two  instances. 

11.  the  day  after.  R.V.,  "soon  afterwards." 
Nain.  Nowhere  else  mentioned  in  the  Bible. 
There  is  a  place  J^ehij  about  a  day's  journey  from 
Capernaum,  ten  minutes'  walk  from  which  there 
is  still  a  burial-ground,  disciples.  A  wider  circle 
than  the  Twelve. 

12.  only  son  .  .  .  widow.  Touches  of  descrip- 
tion which  increase  the  pathos,  people.  Hired 
mourners  among  the  friends. 

13.  her.  She  would  walk  in  front  of  the  bier, 
compassion.    As  motive  of  Jesus'  acts,  cf.  Matt. 


144   Westminster  New  Testament 

xiv.    14,    XV.    32,    XX.    34  ;    Mark   i.    41,   viii.    21. 
weep  not.    "  cease  to  weep." 

14.  touched  the  bier.  As  a  sign  to  the  bearers 
to  stand  still. 

1 5.  sat  up.  Cf.  Acts  ix.  40 ;  a  term  used  by 
medical  writers,  gave  him.  Though  He  might 
have  claimed  him  as  a  disciple. 

16.  visited.  The  word  is  especially  used  of  a 
physician  (cf.  Matt.  xxv.  36-43  ;  Jas.  i.  27  ;  Acts 
vii.  23,  XV.  36) ;  for  the  thought,  cf.  i.  68-78  ;  Acts 
XV.  14 ;  Heb.  ii.  6. 

17.  rumour.  R.V.,  "report"  ;  Gr.  "word."  The 
statements  of  the  preceding  verse.  Judaea.  Possibly 
=  Palestine.  This  verse  prepares  us  for  the  next 
incident.  This  report  reached  even  John  the 
Baptist  in  prison. 


Luke  vii.  18-35  (cf-  Matt.  xi.  1-19). 
JESUS  AND  JOHN  THE  BAPTIST. 

18  And  the  disciples  of  John  shewed  him  of  all  these  things. 

19  And  John  calling  unto  him  two  of  his  disciples  sent  them 
to  Jesus,  saying,  Art  thou  he  that  should  come  ?  or  look 

20  we  for  another?  When  the  men  were  come  unto  him, 
they  said,  John  Baptist  hath  sent  us  unto  thee,  saying,  Art 

21  thou  he  that  should  come?  or  look  we  for  another  ?  And 
in  that  same  hour  he  cured  many  of  their  infirmities  and 
plagues,  and    of  evil    spirits  ;  and   unto    many  that  were 

22  blind  he  gave  sight.  Then  Jesus  answering  said  unto  them. 
Go  your  way  and  tell  John  what  things  ye  have  seen  and 
heard,  how  that'the  blind  see,  the  lame  walk,  the  lepers  are 
cleansed,  the  deaf  hear,  the  dead  are  raised,  to  the  poor  the 

23  gospel  is  preached.     And  blessed  is  he,  whosoever  shall  not 

24  be  offended  in  me.  And  when  the  messengers  of  John  were 
departed,  he  began  to  speak  unto  the  people   concerning 


St.  Luke  vii.  18-35  145 

John,  What  went   ye  out  into  the  wilderness  for  to  see? 

25  A  reed  shaken  with  the  wind  ?  But  what  went  ye  out  for 
to  see?  A  man  clothed  in  soft  raiment?  Behold,  they 
which  are  gorgeously  apparelled,  and  live  delicately,  are 

26  in  kings'  courts.  But  what  went  ye  out  for  to  see?  A 
prophet?     Yea,    I   say   unto   you,  and    much  more   than 

27  a  prophet.  1  his  is  he  of  whom  it  is  written.  Behold,  I 
send  my  messenger  before  thy  face,    which   shall  prepare 

28  thy  way  before  thee.  For  I  say  unto  you,  Among  those 
that  are  born  of  women  there  is  not  a  greater  prophet  than 
John  the  Baptist :  but  he  that  is  least  in  the  kingdom  of 

29  God  is  greater  than  he.  And  all  the  people  that  heard 
him,  and  the  publicans,  justified  God,  being  baptized  with 

30  the  baptism  of  John.  But  the  Pharisees  and  lawyers  re- 
jected the  counsel  of    God  against  themselves,  being  not 

31  baptized  of  him.  And  the  Lord  said,  Whereunto  then 
shall  I  liken  the  men  of  this  generation  ?  and  to  what  are 

32  they  like?  They  are  like  unto  children  sitting  in  the 
marketplace,  and  calling  one  to  another,  and  saying,  We 
have  piped  unto  you,  and  ye  have  not  danced ;  we  have 

33  mourned  to  you,  and  ye  have  not  wept.  For  John  the 
Baptist  came  neither  eating  bread  nor  drinking  wine  ;  and 

34  ye  say,  He  hath  a  devil.  The  Son  of  man  is  come  eating 
and  drinking  ;  and  ye  say.  Behold  a  gluttonous  man,  and 

35  a  winebibber,  a  friend  of  publicans  and  sinners !  But 
wisdom  is  justified  of  all  her  children. 

This  incident  is  derived  by  Matthew  and  Luke 
from  the  second  source  (Q),  and  is  told  more  fully  by 
Luke  than  Matthew.  Matthew  continues  the  naiTa- 
tive  in  Jesus'  denunciation  of  the  Galilaean  cities, 
His  prayer  of  thanksgiving,  and  His  invitation  to  the 
labouring  and  heavy-laden  to  come  for  rest.  John's 
question  was  due  either  to  a  temporary  loss  of 
faith  owing  to  his  weary  imprisonment,  or  to  the 
perplexity  caused  by  the  difference  of  Jesus' 
10 


146   Westminster  New  Testament 

Messiahship  from  what  he  had  expected,  or  to  a 
reaction  to  the  older  point  of  view  from  that  to 
which  he  had  been  for  a  time  raised  in  contact 
with  Jesus.  (See  the  writer's  The  Inner  Life  of 
Jesus,  chap,  iv.) 

19.  should  come.  R.V.,  "  cometh."  He  whose 
coming  is  hoped  and  looked  for — thaiis,  the  Messiah, 
another.   Different  in  kind,  a  Messiah  of  another  sort. 

21.  This  verse  is  peculiar  to  Luke  ;  and  it  must 
be  admitted  that  a  performance  of  miracles  in  the 
presence  of  John's  disciples  to  convince  them  or 
John  would  be  a  display  contrary  to  Jesus'  practice 
of  refusing  a  sign ;  nor  was  there  any  necessity  for 
such  evidence,  as  it  was  the  report  of  His  miracles 
that  had  led  John  to  send  his  disciples,  plagues. 
Gr.  "  scourges"  ;  cf.  Mark  iii.  10,  v.  29.  Disease  is 
regarded  as  Divine  chastisement,  gave.  R.V., 
"  bestowed  "  ;  "  gave  as  a  favour." 

22.  Jesus  refers  in  His  message  to  John  to  Isa. 
XXXV.  5,  6,  Ixi.  1  ;  the  healings,  etc.,  are  to  be  taken 
literally,  not  figuratively,  to  the  poor,  etc.  Liter- 
ally, "  the  poor  are  evangelised  "  ;  the  convincing 
proof  of  Messiahship  (cf.  iv.  18-21). 

23.  A  gentle  rebuke  to  the  Baptist  for  finding 
an  occasion  of  stumbling,  despondency,  distrust, 
impatience,  in  Jesus,  and  a  gracious  encouragement 
to  renewal  of  faith,  offended,  "entrapped," 
"  tripped  up,"  "  made  to  stumble." 

24.  25.  Jesus  at  once  seeks  to  remove  from  the 
minds  of  the  multitude  any  unfavourable  impression 
regarding  John  that  His  rebuke  may  have  left. 
The  figurative  questions  can  be  understood  in 
two  ways :  (l)  Did  you  go  into  the  wilderness  to 
find  what  you  might  expect  to  find,  but  what 
would  have  no  value  for  you  ;  or  did  you  go  look- 


St.  Luke  vii.  18-35  h7 

ing  for  something  you  would  value,  although  you 
could  have  no  hope  of  finding  it  there  ?  It  was  on 
no  fool's  errand  you  went.  (2)  Did  you  find  John 
a  weakling  or  a  worldling?  The  former  is  the 
more  probable. 

27.  This  quotation  from  Mai.  iii.  1  is  placed  by 
Mark  at  the  beginning  of  his  Gospel ;  it  was 
generally  regarded  as  Messianic,  before  thy  face. 
Is  neither  in  the  Hebrew  nor  the  LXX. 

28.  born  of  women.  Mankind,  with  no  emphasis 
on  weakness,  but  with  an  implicit  contrast  to  the 
new  order  of  the  Kingdom  of  God.  least.  R.V., 
^^but  little"  (Gr.  ^^ lesser").  The  inferior  in  the 
Kingdom  is  superior  to  the  greatest  of  prophets  in 
privilege,  etc.,  as  the  fulfilment  excels  the  promise 
and  the  preparation. 

29.  30.  Is  this  a  continuation  of  Jesus'  own 
speech,  a  summary  He  gives  of  the  twofold  issue 
of  John's  ministry,  or  is  it  a  comment  that  the 
Evangelist  has  himself  inserted  ?  The  passage  is 
not  found  in  the  corresponding  place  in  Matthew, 
but  a  passage  difficult  to  interpret.  It  is  possible 
that  Luke  dropped  out  the  utterances  he  could  not 
himself  understand,  and  put  in  this  simpler  state- 
ment. The  words  do  not  make  the  impression  of 
being  from  the  lips  of  Jesus  Himself 

29.  justified,  i.e.  recognised  the  righteousness 
of  God's  demand  for  penitence  by  accepting  its 
symbol,  baptism,  lawyers.  A  word  used  by  Luke 
instead  of  scribes,  which  the  Gentile  readers  would 
not  have  understood. 

30.  against  themselves.  Better,  "  concerning 
themselves  "  ;  they  withstood  God's  will  for  them. 

31.  And  the  Lord  said.  A  reading  that  must 
be  set  aside,     then.    Seing   that  John's  ministry 


148   Westminster  New  Testament 

was  not  altogether  successful,  and  Mine  is  not  likely 
to  be,  how  can  the  nation  that  so  receives  its 
teachers  be  described  ? 

32.  Two  explanations  are  here  possible :  (1) 
The  people  are  the  children  who  refuse  to  play 
when  invited  by  John  and  then  by  Jesus,  either  at 
funerals  or  marriages — that  is,  they  reject  both  the 
asceticism  of  the  Baptist  and  the  glad  liberty  of 
Jesus'  Gospel.  (2)  The  people  are  the  children 
who  complain  of  John  that  he  will  not  play 
marriages  (that  is,  lay  aside  his  asceticism),  and  of 
Jesus  that  He  will  not  play  funerals  (submit  to 
fasting,  etc.).  The  saying  itself  shows  Jesus'  in- 
terest in  children. 

33.  devil.  Gr.  "  demon."  The  Baptist's  asceti- 
cism was  ascribed  to  demonic  possession,  as  disease 
was. 

35.  wisdom.  For  the  personification,  cf.  Prov. 
viii.,  ix. ;  Ecclus.  xxiv. ;  Wisd.  vi.  22 — ix.  18.  is.  R.V. 
marg.,  "was."  justified.  Admitted  to  be  just  or 
righteous.  Her  method,  rejected  by  the  people 
generally,  was  approved  by  those  who  welcomed 
John  or  Jesus — that  is,  of  all  her  children.  Those 
who  judge  wisely  show  themselves  Wisdom's 
children.  The  saying  does  not  mean  that  John 
and  Jesus  as  children  of  Wisdom  were  justified,  but 
that  the  children  of  Wisdom  justified  her  ways  in 
John  and  Jesus. 


Luke  vii.  36-50  (cf.  Mark  xiv.  3-9  =  Matt.  xxvi.  6-13= 
John  xii.  1-8). 

FORGIVENESS  AND  LOVE. 

36  And  one  of  the  Pharisees  desired  him  that  he  would  eat 
with  him.     And  he  went  into  the  Pharisee's  house,  and  sat 


St.  Luke  vii.  36-50  149 

37  down  to  meat.  And,  behold,  a  woman  in  the  city,  which 
was  a  sinner,  when  she  knew  that  Jesus  sat  at  meat  in  the 
Pharisee's  house,  brought  an  alabaster  box  of  ointment, 

38  and  stood  at  his  feet  behind  him  weeping,  and  began  to 
wash  his  feet  with  tears,  and  did  wipe  them  with  the  hairs 
of  her  head,  and  kissed  his  feet,  and  anointed  them  with 

39  the  ointment.  Now  when  the  Pharisee  which  had  bidden 
him  saw  it,  he  spake  within  himself,  saying,  This  man,  if 
he  were  a  prophet,  would  have  known  who  and  what 
manner  of  woman  this  is  that  toucheth  him  :  for  she  is  a 

40  sinner.  And  Jesus  answering  said  unto  him,  Simon,  I 
have  somewhat  to  say  unto  thee.     And  he  saith,  Master, 

41  say  on.  There  was  a  certain  creditor  which  had  two 
debtors :  the  one  owed  five  hundred  pence,  and  the  other 

42  fifty.  And  when  they  had  nothing  to  pay,  he  frankly  for- 
gave them  both.     Tell  me  therefore,  which  of  them  will 

43  love  him  most  ?  Simon  answered  and  said,  I  suppose  that 
he,  to  whom  he  forgave  most.     And  he  said  unto  him, 

44  Thou  hast  rightly  judged.  And  he  turned  to  the  woman, 
and  said  unto  Simon,  Seest  thou  this  woman  ?  I  entered 
into  thine  house,  thou  gavest  me  no  water  for  my  feet :  but 
she  hath  washed  my  feet  with  tears,  and  wiped  them  with 

45  the  hairs  of  her  head.  Thou  gavest  me  no  kiss  :  but  this 
woman  since  the  time  I  came  in  hath  not  ceased  to  kiss  my 

46  feet.     My  head  with  oil  thou  didst  not  anoint :   but  this 

47  woman  hath  anointed  my  feet  with  ointment.  Wherefore 
I  say  unto  thee.  Her  sins,  which  are  many,  are  forgiven ; 
for  she  loved  much :   but  to  whom  little  is  forgiven,  the 

48  same  loveth   little.     And  he  said  unto  her.  Thy  sins  are 

49  forgiven.  And  they  that  sat  at  meat  with  him  began  to 
say  within  themselves.  Who  is  this  that  forgiveth  sins  also  ? 

50  And  he  said  to  the  woman,  Thy  faith  hath  saved  thee ;  go 
in  peace. 

This  story  is  found  only  in  Luke  ;  as  an  illustra- 
tion of  Divine  grace  and  human  faith  it  was 
thoroughly  congenial  to  him.     Mark,  followed  by 


I50   Westminster  New  Testament 

Matthew,  tells  the  story  of  the  anointing  of  Jesus 
by  a  woman  in  the  house  of  Simon  the  leper ;  and 
John  also  tells  the  story,  and  gives  the  woman's 
name,  Maiy  of  Bethany.  There  is  no  necessity  for 
regarding  the  two  narratives  as  variant  traditions 
of  the  same  incident :  it  is  not  improbable  that 
such  a  sign  of  devotion  was  shown  to  Jesus  more 
than  once.  Neither  is  there  sufficient  reason  for 
identifying  this  sinful  woman  with  Mary  of  Mag- 
dala,  although  the  use  of  the  term  Magdalene  for  a 
fallen  woman  rests  on  this  identification  ;  still  less 
ground  is  there  for  supposing  that  Mary  of  Bethany 
and  Mary  Magdalene  were  the  same.  Probably 
tradition  had  not  preserved  the  woman's  name. 
Luke  introduces  the  story  probably  as  an  illustra- 
tion of  vers.  29,  30,  penitence  and  impenitence, 
without  any  indication  of  time. 

36.  one  of  the  Pharisees  (cf.  xi.  37,  xiv.  1). 
The  invitation  was  probably  due  to  curiosity  rather 
than  personal  regard,  but  there  is  no  sign  of 
hostility. 

37.  behold.  The  presence  of  such  a  woman  in 
such  a  house  was  surprising,  sinner.  A  person 
well  known  for  wickedness  ;  here,  a  harlot  (cf. 
Matt.  xxi.  32).  Probably  she  had  repented  at 
Christ's  teaching,  but  either  the  change  was  not 
known  or  distrusted.  Penitence  and  pardon  in- 
spired courage  to  enter  the  house  where  her 
presence  would  be  resented,  generosity  in  offering 
her  most  precious  possession,  humility  in  rendering 
this  servile  office,  and  the  passionate  affection 
shown  in  the  many  kisses  on  Jesus'  feet,  alabaster 
box.  R.  v.,  "  alabaster  cruse  "  ;  margin,  "  flask  "  ;  as 
these  vessels  were  called  alabasters,  whether  made 
of  this  material  or  not. 


St.  Luke  vii.  36-50  151 

38.  R. v.,  «  standing  behind  at  His  feet."  The 
sandals  were  removed,  and  as  the  guests  reclined 
on  the  couches  the  feet  would  be  behind  them, 
within  easy  reach,  wash — wiped.  She  came  only 
to  anoint,  but  her  feelings  so  overcame  her  that  she 
burst  into  tears,  and  as  the  tears  fell  on  Jesus'  feet 
she  loosened  her  hair  (a  most  improper  action 
according  to  Jewish  manners)  to  wipe  away  her 
tears  ;  and  carried  still  further  by  her  emotion,  she 
covered  His  feet  with  kisses  (Gr.  "kissed  much"). 

39.  a  prophet.  R.V.  margin,  "Some  ancient 
authorities  read  the  yrophet.  See  John  i.  24,  25," 
but  this  is  not  probable.  The  common  opinion 
was  that  Jesus  was  a  prophet,  and  it  is  not  likely 
Simon  had  got  any  further.  A  prophet  would 
have  had  insight  enough  to  detect  the  woman's 
character,  and  zeal  enough  for  righteousness  to 
have  scorned  her  approach. 

40.  answering".  He  at  once  proves  Himself  a 
prophet,  at  least  by  showing  that  He  knows  what 
manner  of  man  Simon  is.  somewhat  tO  Say.  A 
polite  request  for  leave  to  speak.  Master.  Better 
R.V.  margin,  "  teacher." 

41.  pence.  The  denarius  was  in  weight  of 
silver  less  than  a  shilling,  but  in  "  purchasing 
power  "  about  two  shillings  (cf.  Matt.  xx.  2).  The 
debts  were  £50  and  £5. 

42.  frankly  forgave.  "  made  a  gift  (grace)  to 
them,"  a  suggestion  of  Pauline  doctrine. 

43.  I  suppose.  A  contemptuous  admission, 
rightly  judged.  Jesus'  method  here  is  quite 
Socratic.  He  secures  an  admission  to  be  effectively 
used  in  further  argument. 

44.  turned.  A  further  rebuke  of  Simon,  and 
an  encouragement  to  the  woman,  of  whom  till  now 


l.«>2 


Westminster  New  Testament 


He  had  taken  no  notice,  probably  in  compassion. 
He  would  not  fix  attention  on  her.  But  when 
hostility  appeared.  He  must  at  once  show  grace. 
water  (cf.  Gen,  xviii.  4;  Judg.  xix.  21 ;  1  Sam. 
XXV.  41  ;  Johnxiii.  5  ;  1  Tim.  v.  10).  A  necessary  act 
of  hospitality  in  a  country  where  sandals  were  worn, 
and  taken  off  on  sitting  down  to  a  meal. 

45.  Kiss.  A  usual  salutation,  chosen  by  the 
traitor  (xxii.  48).  The  one  kiss  on  cheek  or  hand 
is  contrasted  with  the  continued  kissing  of  His 
feet. 

46.  oil.  A  cheap  and  common  courtesy,  oint- 
ment.   A  costly  offering  (cf.  John  xii.  3,  5). 

47.  The  meaning  is  not  that  much  love  won  the 
forgiveness  of  many  sins,  for  (1)  the  parable  re- 
presents the  love  as  the  result  of  the  forgiveness ; 
(2)  so  does  the  latter  part  of  this  verse ;  and  (3) 
ver.  50  mentions  faith  as  the  condition  of  salvation. 
But  Jesus  means  that  the  love  shown  was  the  proof 
of  forgiveness.  Her  devotion  was  to  Jesus  evidence 
of  her  pardon,  little  is  forgiven.  He  who  like 
Simon  has  no,  or  little,  sense  of  his  unworthiness, 
will  not  be  conscious  of  a  great  debt,  and  will  feel 
little  love. 

48.  are  forgiven.  Better,  "have  been  and 
remain  forgiven."  It  was  the  certainty  of  forgive- 
ness which  had  inspired  her  devotion.  Jesus  now 
confirms  this  for  her  conscience,  and  declares  it 
for  the  judgment  of  her  by  others. 

49.  Cf.  V.  21.     also.   Better  R.V.,  "even." 

50.  He  said.  The  answer  to  the  objectors  was 
in  the  assurance  to  the  penitent,  go  in  peace. 
lit.,  "  go  into  peace  "  ;  an  abiding  state  of  peace 
(cf.  viii.  48  ;  Mark  v.  34).  This  is  the  Hebrew 
mode  of  blessing  (1  Sam.  i.  17,  xx.  42). 


St.  Luke  viii.  1--3  153 


Luke  viii.  1-3. 

MINISTERING  WOMEN. 

And  it  came  to  pass  afterward,  that  he  went  throughout 
every  city  and  village,  preaching  and  shewing  the  glad 
tidings  of  the  kingdom  of  God  :  and  the  twelve  were  with 

2  him,  and  certain  women,  which  had  been  healed  of  evil 
spirits  and  infirmities,  Mary  called  Magdalene,  out  of  whom 

3  went  seven  devils,  and  Joanna  the  wife  of  Chuza  Herod's 
steward,  and  Susanna,  and  many  others,  which  ministered 
unto  him  of  their  substance. 

This  general  description  of  Jesus'  ministry  is 
peculiar  to  Luke  ;  in  it  he  tells  us  how  Jesus  and 
His  disciples,  who  had  forsaken  all  to  follow  Him, 
had  their  needs  met  by  the  boimty  to  the  common 
purse  of  ministering  women  (cf.  John  xii.  6,  xiii.  29). 
Luke  shows  a  special  interest  in  women,  and 
probably  some  of  his  special  information  about  the 
ministry  of  Jesus  was  obtained  from  some  of  these 
ministering  women.  While  accepting  gifts  freely 
offered,  Jesus  rebuked  the  scribes  for  their  exactions 
(xx.  47). 

L  afterward.  R.V.,  "soon  afterwards."  Luke 
had  no  definite  information  about  time.  This  verse 
shows  us  how  thorough  and  constant  was  Jesus* 
labour. 

2.  evil  spirits.  The  demoniacs.  See  on  iv.  33. 
Magdalene.  Probably  this  means  of  Magdala,  a 
term  not  mentioned  elsewhere  in  N.T.,  for  the  true 
reading  in  Matt.  xv.  39  is  "  Magadan  "  ;  but  it  is 
probably  only  the  Greek  equivalent  of  the  Hebrew 
Migdol,  "watch-tower/'  a  common  place-name  in 
Palestine.  There  is  now  a  "  squalid  group  of 
hovels  "  called  Mejdel  on  the  western  shore  of  the 


154   Westminster  New  Testament 

lake.  The  epithet  was  probably  intended  to 
distinguish  her  from  other  Marys  mentioned  (of. 
Matt,  xxvii.  56,  6l,  xxviii.  1  ;  Luke  xxiv.  10). 
seven  devils  (Gr.  "  demons  ").  This  is  a  descrip- 
tion of  an  extreme  form  of  insanity ;  it  does  not 
imply  any  exceptional  moral  depravity. 

3,  Joanna  (cf  xxiv.  lO).  Godet  conjectures 
that  Chuza  is  the  king's  officer ;  cf  John  iv.  4!6-53. 
Herod.  Antipas.  steward.  Manager  of  house 
and  estates.  Cf.  Manaen  (Acts  xiii.  1).  Herod's 
household  had  been  reached  by  Jesus'  influence. 
Susanna.  The  only  mention  of  her.  many 
others.  Cf  Mark  xv.  40.  which,  "who  were 
of  such  a  character  as  to  minister  to  them/'  i.e. 
such  women  who  could  give  freely,  minister, 
Cf.  Rom.  XV.  25. 


Luke  viii.  4-15  (  =  Mark  iv.  1-20  =  Matt.  xiii.  1-23). 
THE  PARABLE  OF  THE  SOWER. 

4  And  when  much  people  were  gathered  together,  and  were 
come  to  him  out  of  every  city,  he  spake  by  a  parable  : 

5  A  sower  went  out  to  sow  his  seed  :  and  as  he  sowed,  some 
fell  by  the  way  side  ;  and  it  was  trodden  down,  and  the 

6  fowls  of  the  air  devoured  it.  And  some  fell  upon  a  rock  ; 
and  as  soon  as  it  was  sprung  up,  it  withered  away,  because 

7  it  lacked  moisture.     And  some  fell  among  thorns  ;  and  the 

8  thorns  sprang  up  with  it,  and  choked  it.  And  other  fell 
on  good  ground,  and  sprang  up,  and  bare  fruit  an  hundred- 
fold.    And  when  he  had  said  these  things,  he  cried,  He 

9  that  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear.     And  his  disciples 
10  asked  him,  saying,  What  might  this  parable  be?     And  he 

said.  Unto  you  it  is  given  to  know  the  mysteries  of  the 
kingdom  of  God :  but  to  others  in  parables ;  that  seeing 
they  might  not  see,  and  hearing  they  might  not  understand. 


St.  Luke  viii.  4-15  155 

1 1  Now  the  parable  is  this  :  The  seed  is  the  word  of  God. 

12  Those  by  the  way  side  are  they  that  hear  ;  then  cometh 
the  devil,  and  taketh  away  the  word  out  of  their  hearts, 

13  lest  they  should  believe  and  be  saved.  They  on  the  rock 
are  they,  which,  when  they  hear,  receive  the  word  with 
joy ;  and  these  have  no  root,  which  for  a  while  believe, 

14  and  in  time  of  temptation  fall  away.  And  that  which  fell 
among  thorns  are  they,  which,  when  they  have  heard,  go 
forth,  and  are  choked  with  cares  and  riches  and  pleasures 

15  of  this  life,  and  bring  no  fruit  to  perfection.  But  that  on 
the  good  ground  are  they,  which  in  an  honest  and  good 
heart,  having  heard  the  word,  keep  it,  and  bring  forth  fruit 
with  patience. 

Luke  again  puts  himself  under  Mark's  guidance. 
Figurative  sayings  of  Jesus  have  already  been 
recorded  (v.  36-39,  vi.  39,  41-44,  47-49,  vii.  41, 
42),  but  the  more  developed  form  of  the  jyarable 
is  now  first  presented  to  us.  The  Parable  of  the 
Sower  not  only  is  the  first,  but  it  gives  such  an 
estimate  by  Jesus  of  the  results  of  His  previous 
ministry  as  justifies  His  adoption  of  this  distinctive 
mode  of  teaching.  While  the  parable  interests  as 
a  story  those  who  cannot  understand  the  truth 
it  teaches,  it  conveys  that  truth  to  all  who  are 
capable  of  receiving  it.  In  this  form  of  utterance 
Jesus  could  conceal  the  mystery  of  the  Kingdom 
from  the  indifferent  and  hostile,  and  reveal  it  to 
the  interested  and  intelligent.  Jesus  Himself  gives 
His  reason  for  speaking  in  parables,  and  interprets 
this  first  parable. 

4.  Does  the  '^multitude"  include  "they  of 
every  city,"  or  were  these  an  addition  as  He  passed 
each  place  to  the  crowd  constantly  with  Him  ? 
Both  senses  are  admissible.     Matthew  and  Mark 


156   Westminster  New  Testament 

tell  us  that  Jesus  to  escape  the  throng  got  into  a 
boat  to  teach. 

5.  sower.  It  may  be  that  the  season  itself 
and  the  surroundings  suggested  the  figure,  the 
way  side.  Not  on  the  road,  but  on  the  field  close 
to  the  road.  There  were  no  fences,  hedges,  or  walls 
around  the  fields. 

6.  rock.  Near  the  surface  with  a  very  thin  layer 
of  earth,  and  it  may  be  even  bare  rock  showing 
here  and  there  in  the  field. 

8.  on.  R.V.,  "into."  Because  good,  the  soil 
received  the  seed  as  well  as  nourished  it.  hundred- 
fold. Matthew  and  Mark  have  thirty-  and  sixty- 
fold  as  well,  cried.  Solemn,  emphatic  appeal. 
He  that,  etc.     Cf.  Rev.  ii.  7,  11,  iii.  6. 

9.  might  be,  i.e.  might  mean.  Matthew  makes 
the  question  more  general.  Not  what  this  parable 
meant,  but  what  He  meant  by  speaking  in  parables, 

10.  you.  The  disciples ;  not  limited  to  the 
Twelve,  others.  The  multitude,  that.  Result 
is  given  as  intention,  and  affects  intention.  Un- 
willing to  understand,  the  people  had  to  be  taught 
in  forms  of  speech  that  might  attract  their  atten- 
tion and  hold  their  interest,  but  which,  until  their 
attitude  was  changed,  could  not  be  thoroughly 
understood  by  them.  Matthew  gives  Jesus'  ex- 
planation more  fully  (see  any  Commentary  on 
Matthew  for  fuller  discussion). 

11.  the  word  of  God.  Rather,  "  the  word  from 
God,"  than  "  the  word  about  God." 

12.  devil.  Matthew  has  "the  wicked  one,"  Mark 
"  Satan,"  represented  in  the  parable  by  the  birds. 

IS.  time  of  temptation.  Matthew  and  Mark 
have  "tribulation  or  persecution."  fall  away.  Cf. 
Heb.  iii.  12. 


St.  Luke  viii.  16-18  157 

14.  go  forth.  R.V.,  "as  they  go  on'their  way'* 
during  the  course  of  their  life.  The  choking  by 
cares,  etc.,  is  more  gradual  than  the  taking  away 
and  the  falling  away. 

15.  patience.  Better,  "endurance"  or  "per- 
severance" (cf.  Col.  i.  11).  Luke  contrasts  the 
last  class  with  each  of  the  others.  They  keep  the 
word,  not  as  the  wayside  ;  they  bring  forth  fruity  not 
as  among  the  thorns ;  in  endurance,  not  as  the 
rocky  ground.  The  first  class  is  represented  by 
the  people  who  never  even  thought  of  discipleship ; 
the  second  by  those  who  were  disciples  for  a 
season  ;  the  third  by  a  disciple  like  Judas.  Hearing, 
to  be  blessed,  includes  receiving,  retaining,  and 
responding. 

Luke  viii.  16-18  (  =  Mark  iv.  21-25= Matt.  v.  15,  x.  26, 
xiii.  12). 

THE  LAMP  ON  THE  STAND. 

16  No  man,  when  he  hath  lighted  a  candle,  covereth  it 
with  a  vessel,  or  putteth  it  under  a  bed ;  but  setteth 
it  on  a  candlestick,    that   they  which   enter  in  may  see 

17  the  light.  For  nothing  is  secret,  that  shall  not  be  made 
manifest ;  neither  any  thing  hid,  that  shall  not  be  known 

18  and  come  abroad.  Take  heed  therefore  how  ye  hear  : 
for  whosoever  hath,  to  him  shall  be  given ;  and  whosoever 
hath  not,  from  him  shall  be  taken  even  that  which  he 
seemeth  to  have. 

Luke  follows  Mark  in  bringing  together  sayings 
which  Matthew  gives  in  three  different  places, 
but  Luke  himself  reproduces  them  singly.  The 
good  hearer  just  described  must  not  keep  to 
himself  what  he  has  heard,  but  must  impart  it 
to  others ;   for  the   truth  must  be  made   known. 


158   Westminster  New  Testament 

and  to  withhold  the  communication  is  to  risk  the 
possession  of  the  truth. 

16.  candle.  Better  R.V.,  "lamp."  Cf.  xi.  33, 
where  the  saying  is  again  given. 

17.  There  is  the  Hebrew  parallelism  in  this 
saying.  Cf.  xii.  2.  The  concealment  of  the  para- 
bolic form  was  a  temporary  expedient^  the  revelation 
was  the  permanent  intention. 

18.  therefore.  Cf.  xix.  26.  Hear  as  those  who 
are  themselves  to  teach.  Who  receives  the  truth 
is  capable  of  receiving  more ;  he  who  does  not, 
loses  even  such  capacity  as  he  may  have  had  for 
receiving.  The  exercise  of  a  faculty  is  the 
necessary  condition  of  its  retention,  not  the  claim 
to  have  it. 

While  the  attempt  has  been  made  to  link 
together  these  sayings  in  their  present  context, 
we  cannot  be  sure  that  we  have  quite  recovered 
the  connection  present  to  the  Evangelist's  mind  ; 
and  only  if  we  knew  their  original  context  could 
we  be  confident  that  we  had  discovered  the 
meaning  Jesus  intended. 


Luke  viii.  19-21  (  =  Mark  iii.  31-35  =Matt.  xii.  46-50). 
NATURAL  AND  SPIRITUAL  KINSHIP. 

19  Then   came   to   him  his   mother   and    his  brethren,   and 

20  could  not  come  at  him  for  the  press.  And  it  was  told 
him  by  certain  which  said,  Thy  mother  and  thy  brethren 

21  stand  without,  desiring  to  see  thee.  And  he  answered 
and  said  unto  them,  My  mother  and  my  brethren  are 
these  which  hear  the  word  of  God,  and  do  it. 

Mark  and   Matthew  place   this  incident  before 
the  Parable  of  the  Sower,  and  immediately  after 


St.  Luke  viii.  19-21     .     159 

Jesus'  defence  of  Himself  against  the  charge  of 
casting  out  demons  by  Beelzebub.  Luke,  with 
his  idealising  tendency  (see  Introduction,  p.  33), 
leaves  out  the  explanation  of  the  reason  why 
Jesus'  mother  and  brethren  now  sought  Him, 
which  Mark  frankly  states  in  iii.  21  :  "And  when 
His  friends  heard  of  it,  they  went  out  to  lay  hold 
on  Him :  for  they  said.  He  is  beside  Himself." 
Afraid  that  He  had  lost  His  reason,  they  came 
to  withdraw  Him  from  His  work.  This  situation 
makes  the  interference  of  the  family  for  such  a 
purpose  and  from  such  a  motive  appear  all  the  more 
inopportune,  and  this  possibly  explains  the  severity 
of  Jesus'  treatment. 

19-  brethren.  As  there  is  no  good  reason  for 
taking  the  word  in  any  other  than  its  ordinary 
sense,  the  conjectures  to  explain  why  those  who 
were  not  really  Jesus'  brethren  should  be  called  so 
need  not  detain  us.     (See  Plummer,  p.  224.) 

21.  my  mother  and  my  brethren.  The 
absence  of  the  article  in  Greek  introduces  a 
refinement  of  meaning  the  English  cannot  express  ; 
the  meaning  is,  "mother  to  Me,"  "brethren  to 
Me" — that  is,  equally  dear  as  the  actual  mother 
and  brethren.  While  Jesus  does  not  here  re- 
pudiate family  relationship  entirely,  He  sub- 
ordinates it  wholly  to  the  spiritual  affinities  of 
the  Kingdom  of  God.  He  does  repudiate  the  right 
of  His  relatives  to  interfere  with  Him  in  the 
fulfilment  of  His  calling  (cf.  John  ii.  4). 


i6o   Westminster  New  Testament 


Luke  viii.  22-25  (  =  Mark  iv.  35-41  =  Matt.  viii.  23-27). 
THE  STORM   ON  THE  LAKE  CALMED. 

22  Now  it  came  to  pass  on  a  certain  day,  that  he  went 
into  a  ship  with  his  disciples :  and  he  said  unto  them. 
Let  us  go   over  unto  the  other  side  of  the  lake.     And 

23  they  launched  forth.  But  as  they  sailed  he  fell  asleep : 
and  there  came  down  a  storm  of  wind  on  the  lake ;  and 

24  they  were  filled  with  water,  and  were  in  jeopardy.  And 
they  came  to  him,  and  awoke  him,  saying.  Master, 
master,  we  perish.  Then  he  arose,  and  rebuked  the 
wind  and  the  raging  of  the  water :  and  they  ceased,  and 

25  there  was  a  calm.  And  he  said  unto  them,  Where  is 
your  faith  ?  And  they  being  afraid  wondered,  saying 
one  to  another,  What  manner  of  man  is  this  !  for  he 
commandeth  even  the  winds  and  water,  and  they  obey 
him. 

Luke,  -  following  Mark,  records  a  series  of 
miracles  which  exhibit  the  power  of  Jesus  over 
nature,  the  powers  of  evil,  disease,  and  death.  A 
distinction  has  been  drawn  by  modern  scholars 
between  the  nature  and  the  healing  miracles; 
and  the  attempt  has  been  made  to  account  for 
the  latter  by  moral  therapeutics,  the  influence  of 
a  strong  personality  over  those  suffering  from 
nervous  disorders ;  but  even  if  this  explanation 
were  applicable  to  some  of  the  healing  miracles, 
the  diseases  cured  in  other  cases  were  such  as  this 
kind  of  treatment  could  not  remove.  The  nature 
miracles — the  stilling  of  the  tempest,  the  walking 
on  the  water,  the  feeding  of  the  multitude,  the 
cursing  of  the  fig  tree — are  inexplicable  in  this 
way,  and  thus  are  sometimes  set  aside  as  incredible. 
But  so  supernatural  is  Jesus  in  His  moral  character, 


St.  Luke  viii.  26-39  ^^i 

His  religious  consciousness.  His  saving  grace 
towards  men,  that  a  supernatural  relation  to  nature 
is  not  incredible  of  Him. 

22.  on  a  certain  day.  R.V.,  "  on  one  of  those 
days."  The  motive  of  the  journey  was  to  escape 
the  crowds  (Matthew),  because  Jesus  was  worn  out 
with  His  labours  (Mark),  launched.  A  nautical 
term  frequent  in,  and  peculiar  to,  Luke  (Acts 
xiii.  13,  xvi.  11,  xx.  3,  etc.). 

23.  fell  asleep.  A  medical  use  of  the  Greek 
term,  came  down.  From  the  funnel-like  ravines 
in  the  hills  surrounding  the  lake,  were  filled. 
R.V.,  ''were  filling." 

24.  rebuked.  A  poetic  phrase ;  it  does  not 
imply  that  personal  agents  were  addressed,  calm. 
Not  only  the  winds  ceased,  but  the  tossing  and 
heaving  of  the  waters. 

25.  where  is  your  faith  ?  Luke,  sparing  the 
disciples,  gives  a  milder  form  of  the  rebuke. 
Belief  in  Jesus  should  have  inspired  confidence 
in  His  and  their  own  safety.  But,  as  their  question 
shows,  they  had  not  yet  realised  all  that  their 
Master  was. 


Luke  viii.  26-39  (  =  Mark  v.  1-20=  Matt.  viii.  28-34). 
THE  GERASENE  DEMONIAC   RESTORED. 

26  And  they  arrived  at  the  country  of  the  Gadarenes,  which 

27  is  over  against  Galilee.  And  when  he  went  forth  to  land, 
there  met  him  out  of  the  city  a  certain  man,  which  had 
devils  long  time,  and  ware  no  clothes,  neither  abode  in 

28  any  house,  but  in  the  tombs.  When  he  saw  Jesus,  he 
cried  out,  and  fell  down  before  him,  and  with  a  loud 
voice  said,  What  have  I  to  do  with  thee,  Jesus,  thou 
Son  of  God  most  high  ?     I  beseech  thee,  torment  me  not. 

II 


i62   Westminster  New  Testament 

29  (For  he  had  commanded  the  unclean  spirit  to  come  out 
of  the  man.  For  oftentimes  it  had  caught  him  :  and 
he  was  kept  bound  with  chains  and  in  fetters ;  and  he 
brake  the   bands,   and  was  driven  of  the  devil   into  the 

30  wilderness.)  And  Jesus  asked  him,  saying,  What  is  thy 
name  ?     And  he  said,  Legion  :  because  many  devils  were 

31  entered  into  him.     And  they  besought  him  that  he  would 

32  not  command  them  to  go  out  into  the  deep.  And  there 
was  there  an  herd  of  many  swine  feeding  on  the 
mountain :    and  they  besought  him  that  he  would  suffer 

33  them  to  enter  into  them.  And  he  suffered  them.  Then 
went  the  devils  out  of  the  man,  and  entered  into  the 
swine  :    and  the  herd  ran  violently  down  a  steep  place 

34  into  the  lake,  and  were  choked.  When  they  that  fed 
them  saw  what  was  done,  they  fled,  and  went  and  told 

35  it  in  the  city  and  in  the  country.  Then  they  went  out 
to  see  what  was  done  ;  and  came  to  Jesus,  and  found  the 
man,  out  of  whom  the  devils  were  departed,  sitting  at 
the  feet  of  Jesus,  clothed,   and  in  his  right   mind  :    and 

36  they  were  afraid.  They  also  which  saw  it  told  them  by 
what   means   he    that    was    possessed    of  the   devils   was 

37  healed.  Then  the  whole  multitude  of  the  country  of  the 
Gadarenes  round  about  besought  him  to  depart  from 
them ;    for   they    were   taken   with   great    fear :     and   he 

38  went  up  into  the  ship,  and  returned  back  again.  Now 
the  man  out  of  whom  the  devils  were  departed  besought 
him  that  he  might  be  with  him  :  but  Jesus  sent  him  away, 

39  saying,  Return  to  thine  own  house,  and  shew  how  great 
things  God  hath  done  unto  thee.  And  he  went  his  way, 
and  published  throughout  the  whole  city  how  great  things 
Jesus  had  done  unto  him. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  fully  recorded  instances 
of  the  cure  of  demonic  possession.  What  has 
been  said  on  iv.  33-35  may  be  referred  to  for 
explanation  of  the  nature  of  the  disease,  and  the 


St.  Luke  viii.  26-39  ^^3 

method  of  its  treatment  by  Jesus.  Here  there 
is  the  additional  difficulty  of  the  destruction  of 
the  swine  in  the  lake.  It  may  be  confidently 
affirmed  that  Jesus  did  not  intend,  and  was  not 
responsible  for,  that  destruction,  and  that  the  panic 
in  the  herd  was  due  to  some  other  cause  (perhaps 
the  loud  shrieks  and  the  wild  gestures  of  the 
demoniac  as,  to  secure  the  passage  of  the  legions 
of  demons  to  the  swine,  in  accordance  with  his 
disordered  fancy  about  the  method  of  his  cure, 
he  rushed  upon  them).  Luke's  words,  ^^  He  gave 
them  leave  "  (ver.  32),  make  Jesus  responsible  for 
adopting  the  lunatic's  suggestion,  but  they  are 
probably  a  misunderstanding  of  Jesus'  command 
(in  accordance  with  His  method  of  adapting  His 
speech  to  the  thoughts  of  the  sufferer)  to  the 
demons  supposed  to  be  inhabiting  the  man  to 
depart.  Matthew  has  the  one  word  "  Go,"  or 
'^  Depart."  Whatever  be  the  explanation,  it  is  to 
the  writer  absolutely  incredible  that  Jesus  allowed 
demons  to  enter  into  and  destroy  the  herd  of  swine. 

26.  Gadarenes.  R.V.,  "Gerasenes";  R.V. 
marg., ''  Gergesenes."  While  Gerasenes  is  the  best 
attested  reading  here  and  in  Mark  v.  1,  Gadarenes  is 
in  Matt.  viii.  28.  Gergesa  is  a  conjecture  of  Origen's 
which  has  no  textual  evidence.  The  place  meant 
is  probably  not  "Gerasa,"  thirty  miles  from  the 
lake  in  Peraea,  but  '^  Gersa,"  or  ''  Kersa,"  close  to  it 
on  the  steep  eastern  bank. 

28.  What  have  I  to  do  with  thee  ?  Lit.,  "What 
to  me  and  to  thee  "  (see  on  iv.  34).  God  most 
high.  R.V.,  "The  Most  High  God";  a  heathen 
title  for  Jehovah,  cf.  Gen.  xiv.  20,  22  ;  Num.  xxiv. 
16 ;  Isa.  xiv.  14  ;  Dan.  iii.  26,  iv.  24,  v.  18,  vii.  18  ; 
Mic.  vi.  6 ;  Acts  xvi.  17.     It  is  to  be  seen  also  on 


i64   Westminster  New  Testament 

Phoenician  inscriptions,  torment.  The  demoniac 
identifies  himself  with  the  demon ;  and  the 
expulsion  of  the  demon  to  the  abyss  (ver.  31)  is 
the  torment  dreaded. 

29.  The  violent  paroxysms  are  here  described.  It 
was  acute  mania,  keptbound.  R.V.,  "  kept  under 
guard  and  bound."  chains.  Iron  fetters,  ropes,  or 
withes.  wilderness.  The  supposed  haunt  of 
demons. 

30.  It  would  appear  that  Jesus'  command  had 
not  at  once  effect,  for  some  desire  for  cure,  some 
faith  in  its  possibility,  was  a  condition  of  His 
exercise  of  His  miraculous  power.  Jesus  now  seeks 
to  win  the  maniac's  confidence,  and  so  secure 
his  submission.  To  ask  the  name  was  to  help 
the  man  to  recover  some  sense  of  his  personal 
identity,  and  enable  him  to  distinguish  himself 
from  the  demons  possessing  him,  so  that  their 
expulsion  would  not  be  described  by  him  as  torment. 
But  so  firm  a  hold  had  the  delusion  of  possession 
by  a  multitude,  that  instead  of  giving  his  own 
name,  the  maniac  gives  himself  a  name  descriptive 
of  that  multitude.  Legion.  A  large  body  of 
Roman  troops — four  to  five  thousand,  because. 
This  is  the  Evangelist's  explanation  of  the  name. 

31.  The  idea  of  possession  by  a  multitude  of 
demons  is   maintained    throughout    the   narrative. 

to  go  out  into  the  deep.  R.V.,  "to  depart  into 
the  abyss."  "Abyssos"  in  classical  Greek  means 
^^  bottomless,  boundless";  in  LXX  it  is  used  of  the 
sea,  or  the  depth  of  the  earth ;  in  N.T.  it  is 
used  of  Hades,  the  abode  of  the  dead  generally 
(Rom.  X.  7),  or  especially  the  dwelling  of  demons 
(Rev.  ix.  1-11,  xi.  7,  xvii.  8,  xx.  1,  3),  their  place 
of  punishment. 


St.  Luke  viii.  26-39  ^^s 

32.  One  explanation  of  Jesus*  permission  to 
allow  the  demons  to  go  into  the  swine  is  that 
only  thus  could  the  man,  in  his  clinging  to  his 
delusion  about  the  multitude  which  possessed  him, 
be  assured  of  his  cure.  On  the  assumption  that 
the  man  was  really  possessed  by  a  multitude  of 
demons,  and  that  his  cure  depended  on  this 
assurance,  this  is  the  most  probable  explanation. 
In  the  common  judgment  the  destruction  of  a  herd 
of  swine  would  not  be  an  illegitimate  or  excessive 
price  to  pay  for  the  restoration  of  a  man  to  sound- 
ness of  mind.  As  the  writer  cannot  accept  the 
assumption  of  demonic  possession  as  a  reality, 
he  must  seek  some  other  explanation  of  the 
destruction  of  the  swine. 

S3,  steep.  Not  necessarily  a  precipice  ;  a  steep 
slope  would  be  enough. 

35.  sitting,  not  rushing  about;  clothed,  not 
naked  ;  in  his  right  mind,  not  raving ;  at  the 
feet  of  Jesus,  not  in  the  wilderness — a  fourfold 
change  expressive  of  the  completeness  of  the  cure. 

36.  told  them.  A  second  and  probably  fuller 
recital  than  in  ver.  34.  asked  him  tO  depart. 
His  power  as  destructive  of  their  property  seemed 
to  them  a  greater  danger  than  as  restoring  health 
it  could  prove  a  good.  In  their  dread  they  cared 
not  what  blessings  they  refused. 

38.  Now  the  man.  In  contrast  to  the  multitude 
he  desired  Jesus'  presence ;  but  was  his  motive 
gratitude  and  devotion,  or  fear  of  what  the  angry 
crowd  would  do  to  him  ?  Jesus'  answer  shows 
him  that  he  can  show  his  gratitude  and  devotion 
best  by  courageous  confession.  Here  in  heathen 
Peraea,  where  there  was  no  Messianic  expectation, 
it  was  not  necessary  to  enforce  silence,  as  often  in 


i66   Westminster  New  Testament 

Galilee  and  Judaea.  Intercourse  with  his  fellows 
was  what  this  man  needed.  The  recital  of  his 
own  cure  would  confirm  his  own  confidence  in 
its  reality. 

Luke  viii.  40-56  (  =  Mark;v.  21-43  =  Matt.  ix.  18-26). 

THE  DAUGHTER  OF  JAIRUS  AND  THE 
WOMAN  IN  THE  THRONG. 

40  And  it  came  to  pass,  that,  when  Jesus  was  returned,  the 
people  gladly  received  him  :  for  they  were  all  waiting  for 

41  him.  And,  behold,  there  came  a  man  named  Jairus,  and 
he  was  a  ruler  of  the  synagogue :  and  he  fell  down  at 
Jesus'  feet,  and  besought  him  that  he  would   come   into 

42  his  house  :  for  he  had  one  only  daughter,  about  twelve 
years  of  age,  and  she  lay  a  dying.     But  as  he  went  the 

43  people  thronged  him.  And  a  woman  having  an  issue  of 
blood  twelve  years,  which  had  spent  all  her  living  upon 

44  physicians,  neither  could  be  healed  of  any,  came  behind 
him,  and  touched  the  border  of  his  garment :    and   im- 

45  mediately  her  issue  of  blood  stanched.  And  Jesus  said. 
Who  touched  me  ?  When  all  denied,  Peter  and  they 
that  were  with  him  said.  Master,  the  multitude  throng 
thee  and  press  thee,  and  sayest  thou,  Who  touched  me  ? 

46  And  Jesus  said,  Somebody  hath  touched  me  :  for  I  perceive 

47  that  virtue  is  gone  out  of  me.  And  when  the  woman 
saw  that  she  was  not  hid,  she  came  trembling,  and  falling 
down  before  him,  she  declared  unto  him  before  all  the 
people  for  what  cause  she  had  touched  him,  and  how  she 

48  was  healed  immediately.  And  he  said  unto  her.  Daughter, 
be  of  good  comfort :  thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole  ;  go 

49  in  peace.  While  he  yet  spake,  there  cometh  one  from 
the  ruler  of  the  synagogue's  house,  saying   to  him,  Thy 

50  daughter  is  dead  ;  trouble  not  the  Master.  But  when 
Jesus  heard  it,  he  answered  him,  saying,  Fear  not :  believe 

51  only,  and  she  shall  be  made  whole.     And  when  he  came 


St.  Luke  viii.  40-56  167 

into  the  house,  he  suffered  no  man  to  go  in,  save  Peter, 
and  James,  and  John,  and  the  father  and  the  mother  of 

52  the  maiden.     And  all  wept,  and   bewailed  her :   but  he 

53  said.  Weep  not ;  she  is  not  dead,  but  sleepeth.     And  they 

54  laughed  him  to  scorn,  knowing  that  she  was  dead.     And 
he  put  them  all  out,  and  took  her  by  the  hand,  and  called, 

55  saying.  Maid,  arise.     And  her  spirit  came  again,  and  she 
arose  straightway  :  and  he  commanded  to  give  her  meat. 

56  And  her  parents  were  astonished  :   but  he  charged  them 
that  they  should  tell  no  man  what  was  done. 

The  story  of  the  two  miracles  is  by  the  fact 
itself  inextricably  interlaced.  On  the  way  to  heal 
Jairus'  daughter,  Jesus  is  touched  by  the  woman 
in  the  throng.  Later  legend  gave  this  woman 
the  name  Bernice  (Veronica),  and  Eusebius  in  the 
fourth  century  claimed  to  have  seen  at  Caesarea 
a  statue  representing  Jesus  and  the  woman. 
Another  writer  gives  the  woman's  petition  to 
Herod  Antipas  for  leave  to  set  it  up.  Still  another 
seeks  to  identify  her  with  Martha,  sister  of  Lazarus. 

40.  gladly  received.  R.V.,  "welcomed." 

41.  Jairus.  "he  will  give  light."  It  is  the 
same  as  Jair  (Num.  xxxii.  41  ;  Judg.  x.  3).  ruler. 
He  arranged  for  the  synagogue  services,  etc. 

42.  only.  As  was  widow's  son,  and  lunatic  boy 
(vii.  12,  ix.  38);  a  fact  mentioned  by  Luke  alone, 
twelve  years.  The  opening  of  womanhood,  a 
trying  age  for  the  bodily  health.  Note  the  co- 
incidence with  the  duration  of  the  woman's  disease 
(ver.  43).  a  dying.  Hence  the  father's  anxiety 
that  there  should  be  no  delay,  but  there  was. 

43.  having  an  issue  of  blood.  Lit.,  "being  in 
a  condition  of  hemorrhage."  physicians.  Luke 
omits    Mark's    statement   that   "she  had  suffered 


i68   Westminster  New  Testament 

many  things  of  many  physicians/'  and  "was 
nothing  bettered,  but  rather  grew  worse/'  out  of 
consideration  for  his  fellow-practitioners. 

44.  came  behind.  Secretly.  She  was  levitically 
unclean,  shrunk  from  publicly  stating  her  disease, 
and  had  a  magical  conception  of  Jesus'  power  to 
heal ;  but  Jesus  did  not  disregard  her  faith,  even 
though  superstitious,  border.  Rather  "tassel." 
The  tallth  had  at  each  corner  a  tassel  of  three 
white  threads  and  one  hyacinth  thread;  and  as 
two  fell  behind,  they  could  be  touched  without 
the  ordinary  wearer  noticing  it.  stanched.  A 
medical  term. 

45.  Jesus  did  notice.  The  light  touch,  known 
by  His  quick  insight  to  be  the  touch  of  true  faith, 
found  a  ready  response  of  grace ;  but  it  was  good 
for  the  woman  to  confess  her  need,  and  to  be 
confirmed  by  Jesus'  word  in  the  certainty  of  her 
cure.  For  might  not  a  stolen  cure  appear  to  her 
an  uncertain  boon  ?  Hence  His  question,  not  for 
information,  but  to  secure  the  personal  intercourse 
with  the  woman. 

46.  virtue.  R.V.,  "power."  is  gone  out  of. 
R.V.,  "  had  gone  forth  from,"  not  involuntarily,  but 
by  His  choice. 

47.  came.  Probably  she  had  slipped  away,  and 
so  was  not  among  those  round  Jesus  who  denied 
that  they  had  touched,  trembling.  Lest  for  the 
wrong  done  the  boon  should  be  withdrawn. 

48.  thy  faith.  Her  error  is  corrected;  touch 
without  faith  had  been  vain,  made  thee  whole. 
R.V.  marg.,  "  saved  thee."     Cf  vii.  50. 

49.  What  the  delay  must  have  cost  Jairus ;  but 
it  was  for  the  strengthening  of  his  faith.  There 
is  complaint  and  irritation  in  the  words,  trouble 


St.  Luke  viii.  40--56  169 

not  the  Master.     When  He  has  wasted  so  much 
time,  He  need  not  bother  now. 

50.  Jesus  at  once  appeals  for  faith,  and  gives  an 
assurance  of  blessing.  Fear  not :  believe  only. 
The  Greek  tenses  are  more  expressive :  "  Cease  to 
fear ;  only  make  an  act  of  faith."  At  once  change 
your  mood  from  doubt  to  trust. 

51.  go  in.  Not  the  house,  but  the  room.  Peter, 
James,  John.  The  inner  circle  of  the  Twelve ; 
they  too  alone  witnessed  the  Transfiguration  (ix.  28), 
and  the  agony  in  Gethsemane  (Mark  xiv.  33). 

52.  Hired  mourners  were  not  in  the  room,  but 
the  house,  and  according  to  Matthew  and  Mark 
Jesus  turned  them  out.  she  is  not  dead,  but 
sleepeth.  Either  Jesus,  confident  of  His  power 
to  recall  from  death,  speaks  of  death  as  a  sleep 
from  which  He  will  awaken  (cf  John  xi.  11);  or  He 
declares  that  the  girl  is  not  dead,  but  in  a  trance. 
Wonderful  insight,  if  the  latter  is  the  case,  takes 
the  place  of  wonderful  power,  if  the  former.  The 
words  are  ambiguous,  but  the  Evangelists  convey 
the  impression  that  they  are  recording  a  restoration 
to  life,  not  a  recovery  from  a  trance. 

54.  took  her.  Although  the  touch  meant 
ceremonial  defilement  (see  on  v.  13).  called. 
Touch  and  voice  were  the  means  of  the  miracle. 

55.  spirit  returned.  Luke  alone  makes  the 
statement ;  it  describes  a  restoration  to  life, 
commanded.  Notice  Jesus'  constant  considera- 
tion in  working  the  miracle ;  the  immediate  assur- 
ance to  the  father,  the  small  number  allowed  into 
the  room,  the  expulsion  of  the  mourners  from  the 
house,  the  tender  touch  and  tone,  the  care  for 
her  bodily  strength. 

56.  For  the  command  to  silence  there  must  have 


I70   Westminster  New  Testament 

been  reason  in  the  case  of  the  parents.  Perhaps 
speech  would  have  kept  up  the  amazement,  while 
silence  would  encourage  thought  and  nourish  faith. 

(C)  The  Third  Stage  of  the  Ministry 
IN  Galilee  (ix.  1-50). 

Luke  follows  Mark  till  the  close  of  the  Galilaean 
ministry,  but  omits  a  considerable  section  (vi.  45- 
viii.  26). 

Luke  ix.  1-9  (  =  Mark  vi.  7-16  = 
Matt.  X.  1-15,  xiv.  1-4). 

THE  MISSION  OF  THE  TWELVE  AND 
HEROD'S  BEWILDERMENT. 

Then  he   called   his  twelve  disciples  together,  and  gave 
them   power  and   authority  over  all  devils,  and  to  cure 

2  diseases.     And  he  sent  them  to  preach  the  kingdom  of 

3  God,  and  to  heal  the  sick.  And  he  said  unto  them.  Take 
nothing  for  your  journey,  neither  staves,  nor  scrip,  neither 
bread,   neither  money ;    neither  have   two   coats  apiece. 

4  And   whatsoever   house  ye   enter  into,  there  abide,  and 

5  thence  depart.  And  whosoever  will  not  receive  you, 
when  ye  go  out  of  that  city,  shake  off  the  very  dust  from 

6  your  feet  for  a  testimony  against  them.  And  they  departed, 
and  went  through  the  towns,  preaching  the  gospel,  and 

7  healing  every  where.  Now  Herod  the  tetrarch  heard  of 
all  that  was  done  by  him  :  and  he  was  perplexed,  because 
that  it  was  said  of  some,  that  John  was  risen  from  the 

8  dead  ;   and  of  some,    that    Elias   had   appeared  ;   and   of 

9  others,  that  one  of  the  old  prophets  was  risen  again.  And 
Herod  said,  John  have  I  beheaded  :  but  who  is  this,  of 
whom  I  hear  such  things?    And  he  desired  to  see  him. 

Much  of  Jesus'  teaching  that  Matthew  connects 


St.  Luke  ix.  1-9  171 


with   the  mission   of  the   Twelve,  Luke  reserves 
for  the  mission  of  the  Seventy  (x.  1-1 6). 

1.  power  and  authority.  Might  and  the  right 
to  use  it. 

2.  This  commission  Hamack  assigns  not  to  the 
Marcan  source,  but  to  Q.  them.  Mark  says, 
"two  and  two." 

3.  neither  staves.  R.V.,  "neither  staff." 
Matthew  has  "save  a  staff  only."  The  meaning 
is  :  "make  no  special  provision,  but  go  as  you  are." 
neither  two  coats.  Mark,  "put  not  on  two 
coats." 

4.  The  meaning  is :  "  Go  about  as  quietly  as 
you  can." 

5.  receive  you.  Cf.  viii.  is.    shake  off  the 

dust.    A   symbolic   act    of   repudiation   (cf.    Acts 
xiii.  51). 

7.  perplexed.  R.V.,  "much  perplexed," 
"utterly  at  a  loss";  a  Lucan  word  (Acts  ii.  12, 
V.  24,  X.  1 7).  John  was  risen  from  the  dead. 
The  supposition  is  a  striking  testimony  to  the 
impression  John  had  made,  even  though  he  himself 
wrought  no  miracle. 

8.  Elias  had  appeared.  Elijah  was  believed 
not  to  have  died,  and  was  expected  to  appear 
before  the  Messiah  (cf.  Mai.  iv.  5).  one  of  the 
old  prophets.  There  was  a  hope  of  the  return 
of  some  of  these  at  national  crises.  Luke  was  in 
contact  with  Herodian  circles  (cf.  viii.  3,  and 
Acts  xiii.  1),  and  so  could  learn  what  rumours 
were  circulating  there. 

9.  Matthew  and  Mark  ascribe  to  Herod  the 
belief  that  John  had  risen.  Luke  represents  him 
as  still  uncertain,  yet  so  impressed  by  what  he 
hears  about  Jesus  as  to  be  quite  ready  to  accept 


172   Westminster  New  Testament 

such  an  explanation.  He  thought  he  was  rid  of 
reUgious  unrest  when  he  got  John  out  of  the  way, 
but  he  learns  that  the  excitement  is  greater  than 
ever.  The  mission  of  the  Twelve  spread  the 
movement  more  widely,  desired.  R.V._, "  sought." 
He  made  continued  attempts  to  see  Jesus,  so  that 
he  might  satisfy  himself  if  there  was  anything  in 
the  belief  that  Jesus  was  John  risen  from  the 
dead.  Whether  he  had  already  hostile  intentions 
to  Jesus,  or  was  only  moved  by  curiosity,  we  do 
not  know. 


Luke  ix.  10-17  (  =  Mark  vi.  30-44=  Matt.  xiv.  13-21 ; 
of.  John  vi.  1-15). 

THE  FEEDING  OF  THE  FIVE  THOUSAND. 

10  And  the  apostles,  when  they  were  returned,  told  him  all 
that  they  had  done.  And  he  took  them,  and  went  aside 
privately  into  a  desert  place  belonging  to  the  city  called 

1 1  Bethsaida.  And  the  people,  when  they  knew  it,  followed 
him  :  and  he  received  them,  and  spake  unto  them  of  the 
kingdom   of  God,    and   healed  them   that  had  need    of 

12  healing.  And  when  the  day  began  to  wear  away,  then 
came  the  twelve,  and  said  unto  him,  Send  the  multitude 
away,  that  they  may  go  into  the  towns  and  country  round 
about,  and  lodge,  and  get  victuals :  for  we  are  here  in  a 

13  desert  place.  But  he  said  unto  them,  Give  ye  them  to 
eat.  And  they  said,  We  have  no  more  but  five  loaves 
and  two  fishes  ;  except  we  should  go  and  buy  meat  for 

14  all  this  people.  For  they  were  about  five  thousand  men. 
And   he   said  to  his  disciples,  Make  them  sit  down  by 

15  fifties  in  a  company.     And  they  did  so,  and  made  them 

16  all  sit  down.  Then  he  took  the  five  loaves  and  the  two 
fishes,  and  looking  up  to  heaven,  he  blessed  them,  and 
brake,  and  gave  to  the  disciples  to  set  before  the  multitude. 


St.  Luke  ix.  10-17  173 

17  And  they  did  eat,  and  were  all  filled  :  and  there  was  taken 
up  of  fragments  that  remained  to  them  twelve  baskets. 

The  incident  is  recorded  by  the  four  Evangelists. 
John  brings  out  most  clearly  that  it  marked  a 
crisis  in  the  ministry  of  Jesus.  The  Messianic 
enthusiasm  reached  its  culmination.  Jesus'  dis- 
couragement of  the  effort  to  make  Him  declare 
Himself  (John  iv.  15)  probably  produced  a  re- 
action, and  His  popularity  began  to  wane.  It 
must  be  conceded  that  the  miracle  presents  a 
special  difficulty;  we  cannot  conceive  or  imagine 
how  it  was  accomplished — at  what  point  the 
multiplication  of  the  provision  took  place.  It  is, 
however,  as  well  attested  as  any  miracle,  and  none 
of  the  attempts  at  a  natural  explanation  can  be 
regarded  as  successful. 

10.  Jesus  sought  retirement  for  the  training  of 
the  Twelve,  and  for  their  rest  after  their  mission. 
Matthew  gives  as  a  reason  the  report  of  John's 
death.  Jesus,  dreading  a  like  fate,  before  His 
disciples  were  ready  to  carry  on  His  work,  may 
have  been  anxious  to  push  on  with  their  training. 
Bethsaida.  As  Luke  says  nothing  of  a  crossing 
of  the  lake,  he  perhaps  assumed  that  this  was  the 
city  on  the  western  shore  of  the  lake,  and  not, 
as  the  others  indicate,  Bethsaida  Julias,  at  the 
north-east  end  of  the  lake. 

11.  received  them.  R.V.,  "welcomed  them," 
though  His  plan  was  frustrated. 

12.  twelve.  So  also  Matthew  and  Mark.  John 
ascribes  the  initiative  to  Jesus,  and  adds  other 
details.     The  narrative  should  be  consulted. 

14.  men.  The  women  and  children,  of  whom 
only  a  few  were   present,  were   not   included   in 


174   Westminster  New  Testament 

this  number,  sit  down.  Gr.  "recline."  com- 
panies. To  make  easier  the  distribution.  The 
crowd  was  so  arranged  that  the  apostles  could 
freely  move  between  the  groups. 

16.  blessed.  The  Divine  benediction  was 
probably  the  means  of  the  multiplication,  gave. 
"continued  to  give." 

17.  baskets.  Here  "  kophinoi" ;  in  the  other 
case  of  feeding  a  multitude  "  spuris  "  is  used.  The 
basket  here  mentioned  is  the  wallet  which  every 
Jew  carried  in  travelling,  so  that  he  need  not 
buy  food  from  Gentiles. 


Luke  ix.  18-27  ( =  Mark  viii.  27-ix.  i  =  Matt.  xvi.  13-28  ; 
cf.  John  vi.  66-71). 

THE  CONFESSION  OF  JESUS  AS  MESSIAH. 

18  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  he  was  alone  praying,  his  disciples 
were  with  him  :  and  he  asked  them,  saying,  Whom  say  the 

19  people  that  I  am?  They  answering  said,  John  the 
Baptist ;  but  some  say,  Elias,  and  others  say,  that  one  of 

20  the  old  prophets  is  risen  again.  He  said  unto  them,  But 
whom   say   ye   that   I   am  ?     Peter   answering   said,    The 

21  Christ  of  God.     And  he  straitly  charged  them,  and  com- 

22  manded  them  to  tell  no  man  that  thing  ;  saying.  The  Son 
of  man  must  suffer  many  things,  and  be  rejected  of  the 
elders  and  chief  priests  and  scribes,  and  be  slain,  and  be 

23  raised  the  third  day.  And  he  said  to  them  all,  If  any  man 
will  come  after  me,  let  him  deny  himself,  and  take  up  his 

24  cross  daily,  and  follow  me.  For  whosoever  will  save  his 
life  shall  lose  it  :  but  whosoever  will  lose  his  life  for  my 

25  sake,  the  same  shall  save  it.  For  what  is  a  man  advan- 
taged, if  he  gain  the  whole  world,  and  lose  himself,  or  be 

26  cast  away  ?  For  whosoever  shall  be  ashamed  of  me  and  of 
my  words,  of  him  shall  the  Son  of  man  be  ashamed,  when 


St.  Luke  ix.  18-27  ^75 

he  shall  come  in  his  own  glory,  and  in  his  Father's,  and  of 
27  the  holy  angels.     But  I  tell  you  of  a  truth,  there  be  some 
standing  here,  which  shall  not  taste  of  death,  till  they  see 
the  kingdom  of  God. 

No  satisfactory  explanation  can  be  offered  of 
Luke's  omission  of  the  next  section  in  Mark  at 
this  point.  Had  he  an  imperfect  copy  of  Mark } 
It  looks  like  it^  for  would  he  have  failed  to  mention 
that  it  was  at  Caesarea  Philippi  that  the  conversa- 
tion took  place,  if  he  had  had  the  complete  Mark 
before  him  ? 

18.  as  he  was  alone  praying.  A  Lucan  touch  ; 
Mark  says,  "in  the  way."  alone  here  does  not 
exclude  the  disciples. 

19-  Jesus  probably  already  knew  the  popular 
opinion,  but  He  was  leading  His  disciples  up  to 
the  next  question,  which  was  crucial  for  Him. 

20.  Christ.  Literally,  "Anointed,"  i.e.  the 
Messiah.  Matthew  has  the  fuller  answer,  "  Thou 
art  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God,"  but 
even  that  on  Peter's  lips  meant  no  more  than 
Messiahship.  Matthew  alone  has  the  commenda- 
tion of,  and  promise  to,  Peter,  on  which  Roman 
Catholicism  builds  its  claims. 

21.  The  popular  Messianic  expectations  were  so 
false  and  dangerous  that  Jesus  did  not  openly  claim 
to  be  Messiah  (for  exceptions,  see  John  iv.  26,  ix.  37). 

22.  Luke  does  not  make  clear  that  this  was  the 
first  announcement  of  the  Passion.  The  disciples 
having  been  brought  so  far,  could  now  be  led 
further,  must.  This  expresses  Divine  necessity 
rather  than  moral  obligation,  but  God's  will  guided 
Jesus'  choice.  Prophecy  must  be  fulfilled  (cf.  xiii. 
33,  xvii.  25,  xxii.  37,  xxiv.  7,  26,  44 ;  John  iii.  14, 


176   Westminster  New  Testament 

etc.).  rejected.  After  examination,  or  scrutiny. 
The  Sanhedrin  at  least  professed  to  consider  Jesus' 
claim. 

23.  Luke  omits  Peter's  remonstrance  and  re- 
buke, probably  "  to  spare  him/'  but  in  so  doing 
fails  to  give  the  occasion  for  the  teaching  that 
follows,  cross.  The  first  mention  is  here  ;  but  as 
crucifixion  was  a  familiar  mode  of  punishment,  it 
does  not  necessarily  follow  that,  in  using  this  figure, 
Jesus  was  already  aware  that  He  Himself  would 
be  crucified.  The  condemned  had  to  carry  the 
instrument  of  his  punishment  to  the  place  of 
execution,  daily.  The  word  here  is  peculiar  to 
Luke  (cf.  1  Cor.  xv.  31).  follow  me  does  not 
merely  repeat  come  after  me.  The  second  is  a 
general  description  of  discipleship,  of  which  three 
conditions  are  given :  self-denial,  acceptance  of 
one's  lot  of  suffering,  and  fidelity  to  the  end. 

24.  will  save.  Better,  "  willeth  to  save,"  has 
this  as  his  desire  and  intention,  will  lose.  R.V., 
"  shall  lose,"  as  a  matter  of  fact.  To  save  life  physi- 
cally by  refusing  discipleship  is  to  lose  it  spiritually  ; 
to  lose  it  physically  for  Christ's  sake  is  to  save  it 
spiritually. 

25.  advantaged.  R.V.,  "profited."  lose  him- 
self, or  be  cast  away.  R.V.,  "lose  or  forfeit  his 
own  self"  ;  cf.  the  same  contrast  of  gain  and  loss, 
in  Phil.  iii.  7.  Luke  here  omits  the  further  words, 
"  For  what  should  a  man  give  in  exchange  for  his 
life  "  (Mark  viii.  37). 

26.  Cometh.  Not  at  the  Resurrection,  but  the 
Second  Advent.     This  is  the  first  mention. 

27.  ofatruth.  For  Matthew's  and  Mark's  Amen, 
which  Luke  seldom  uses,  taste  of  death.  Cf. 
John  viii.  52  ;  Heb.  ii.  9-     A  Talmudic  expression  ; 


St.  Luke  ix.  28-36  177 

"experience  the  bitterness"  is  the  meaning.  Cf. 
''see  death/'  ii.  26  ;  John  viii.  51.  the  kingdom 
of  God.  Mark  adds^  "come  with  power."  To 
what  event  does  this  refer  ?  Of  the  many  suggested 
we  need  mention  only  five :  the  Transfiguration,  the 
Resurrection,Pentecost,  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem, 
and  the  Second  Advent.  The  last  is  excluded  by 
the  promise  itself,  unless  we  suppose  Jesus  Him- 
self expected  it  very  soon  ;  but  He  Himself  confesses 
His  ignorance  of  the  time  (Mark  xiii.  32).  The 
first  is  surely  too  near  at  hand  for  any  such  promise 
to  be  given.  Of  the  remaining  three,  the  destruc- 
tion of  Jerusalem,  which  was  more  remote  than 
either  the  Resurrection  or  Pentecost,  as  giving 
most  meaning  to  the  promise  is  the  most  probable. 


Luke  ix.  28-36  (  =  Mark  ik.  2-8  =  Matt.  xvii.  1-8). 
THE  TRANSFIGURATION. 

28  And  it  came  to  pass  about  an  eight  days  after  these  sayings, 
he  took  Peter  and  John  and  James,  and  went  up  into  a 

29  mountain  to  pray.  And  as  he  prayed,  the  fashion  of  his 
countenance  was  altered,  and  his  raiment  was  white  and 

30  glistering.     And,  behold,  there  talked  with  him  two  men, 

31  which  were  Moses  and  Elias  :  who  appeared  in  glory,  and 
spake  of   his  decease   which    he    should   accomplish    at 

32  Jerusalem.  But  Peter  and  they  that  were  with  him  were 
heavy  with  sleep  :  and  when  they  were  awake,  they  saw 

33  his  glory,  and  the  two  men  that  stood  with  him.  And  it 
came  to  pass,  as  they  departed  from  him,  Peter  said  unto 
Jesus,  Master,  it  is  good  for  us  to  be  here  :  and  let  us 
make  three  tabernacles ;  one  for  thee,  and  one  for  Moses, 

34  and  one  for  Elias  :  not  knowing  what  he  said.  While  he 
thus  spake,  there  came  a  cloud,  and  overshadowed  them  : 

35  and  they  feared   as   they  entered   into   the  cloud.      And 

12 


178   Westminster  New  Testament 

there  came  a  voice  out  of  the  cloud,  saying,  This  is  my 
36  beloved  Son :  hear  him.  And  when  the  voice  was  past, 
Jesus  was  found  alone.  And  they  kept  it  close,  and  told 
no  man  in  those  days  any  of  those  things  which  they 
had  seen. 

This  event,  in  recording  which  Luke  and  Matthew 
follow  Mark,  but  add  details  of  their  own,  is  one  the 
nature  and  the  purpose  of  which  it  is  hard  to  deter- 
mine. Its  purpose  seems  to  have  been  to  strengthen 
Jesus  in  His  resolve  to  suffer,  and  to  confirm  His 
authority  to  be  believed  and  obeyed  by  His  disciples 
in  His  teaching  regarding  His  Passion.  As  regards 
its  nature,  we  must  set  aside  the  assumption  that  it 
can  be  explained  by  an  illusion  on  the  part  of  the 
disciples,  half  asleep,  or  just  awakening  out  of 
sleep,  or  any  hallucination  of  their  senses.  On 
the  other  hand,  we  cannot  insist  that  there  was  an 
actual  transformation  of  the  substance  of  the  body 
or  the  clothing  of  Jesus.  An  "objective  vision" 
was  granted  by  God  to  Jesus  and  His  disciples, 
some  outward  reality  presented  to  their  senses,  as 
the  sign  of  the  glory  awaiting  Jesus  when  He  had 
accomplished  His  death  in  Jerusalem.  (See  The 
Inner  Life  of  Jesus ,  chap,  xviii.) 

28.  about  eight  days  after.  Matthew  and 
Mark  have  "after  six  days,"  but  there  is  no  in- 
consistency. Luke  would  include  the  day  of 
confession  and  the  day  of  Transfiguration,  the 
mountain.  Probably  Hermon,  which  could  be 
reached  within  the  time  mentioned  from  Caesarea 
Philippi.  A  tradition  connects  the  event  with 
Tabor,  which,  as  inhabited,  would  not  afford  the 
privacy  desired.  tO  pray.  Luke's  characteristic 
addition. 


St.  Luke  ix.  28-36  179 

29.  altered.  Luke  avoids  Mark's  and  Matthew's 
vietamorphosed^  owing  to  its  associations  for  Gentile 
readers  with  pagan  mythology,  glistering.  R.V., 
"  dazzling." 

30.  which  were.  This  might  be  rendered, 
"who  were  no  others  than."  Either  Jesus  told 
the  disciples,  or  the  vision  carried  with  it  an 
intuition.  The  reappearance  of  Moses  as  well  as 
Elijah  at  the  beginning  of  the  Messianic  age 
was  looked  for  in  some  Jewish  circles.  They 
represented  Law  and  Prophecy  welcoming  and 
confiraiing  the  fulfilment  in  Jesus  the  Christ. 

31.  in  glory.  Foretaste  of  what  awaited  Jesus. 
decease.  R.V.  marg.,  "departure";  literally, 
"exodus,"  the  necessary  way  to  the  glory.  This 
included  the  Resurrection  and  Ascension  as  well 
as  the  Death  itself.  Jesus  was  assured  that  exodus 
from  earth  was  entrance  into  heaven  (cf.  the  use  of 
eisodos  in  Acts  xvi.  24).  accomplish.  Literally, 
"  fulfil." 

32.  were  awake.  R.V.,  "were  fully  awake." 
Nearer  the  original  sense  of  the  word  is  R.V. 
marg.,  "having  remained  awake  "  in  spite  of  their 
sleepiness. 

SS,  departed.  R.V.,  "were  parting."  The  fear 
of  their  departure  prompts  Peter's  hasty  proposal. 

it  is  good  for  us  to  be  here.  This  expresses 

a  sense  of  satisfaction  with  the  appearance  and 
companions  of  Jesus ;  but  another  meaning  is 
possible,  '^it  is  a  good  thing  we  are  here"  to  raise 
the  booths  needed  for  shelter,  tabernacles. 
Better  R.V.  marg.,  "booths."  not  knowing 
what  he  said.  A  thoughtless  speech,  an  inappro- 
priate proposal.  He  did  not  take  in  the  situation. 
He  meets  the  sublime  with  the  ridiculous. 


i8o   Westminster  New  Testament 

34.  cloud.  Matthew  calls  it  "a,  bright  cloud." 
overshadowed  (cf.  Ex.  xl.  34)  them.  Probably 
not  including  the  disciples,  who,  however,  feared 
as  Jesus,  Moses,  and  Elijah  entered  into  the 
cloud. 

35.  my  beloved  Son.  The  better  supported 
reading  is  "  My  Son,  My  chosen." 

36.  alone.  Law  and  Prophets  pass ;  the  Fulfil- 
ment abides,  told  no  man.  In  accordance  with 
Jesus'  strict  prohibition  given  in  Matthew  and 
Mark.  This  silence  is  to  be  observed  till  after  the 
Resurrection. 


Luke  ix.  37-43a  (  =  Mark|ix.  14-29= Matt.  xvii.  14-21). 
THE  EPILEPTIC  BOY  CURED. 

37  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  on  the  next  day,  when  they  were 

38  come  down  from  the  hill,  much  people  met  him.  And, 
behold,  a  man  of  the  company  cried  out,  saying,  Master,  I 
beseech  thee,  look  upon  my  son  :  for  he  is  mine  only  child. 

39  And,  lo,  a  spirit  taketh  him,  and  he  suddenly  crieth  out ; 
and  it  teareth  him  that  he  foameth  again,  and  bruising  him 

40  hardly  departeth  from  him.     And  I  besought  thy  disciples 

41  to  cast  him  out  ;  and  they  could  not.  And  Jesus  answer- 
ing said,  O  faithless  and  perverse  generation,  how  long 
shall  I  be  with  you,  and  suffer  you  ?     Ering  thy  son  hither. 

42  And  as  he  was  yet  a  coming,  the  devil  threw  him  down, 
and  tare  him.  And  Jesus  rebuked  the  unclean  spirit,  and 
healed  the  child,  and  delivered  him  again  to  his  father. 

43  And  they  were  all  amazed  at  the  mighty  power  of 
God. 

If  it  were  not  so  clearly  indicated  that   there 
was  a  close  connection  m  fact  between  this   and 


St.  Luke  ix.  37-43^  i8i 

the  preceding  incident,  one  might  regard  the 
placing  side  by  side  of  these  two  stories  as  a 
triumph  of  literary  art.  The  contrast  between  the 
glory  of  the  top  of  the  mountain  and  the  misery  at 
the  foot  is  so  striking  ;  but  it  is  the  same  Jesus 
who  in  the  one  case  enjoys  heavenly  companion- 
ship, and  in  the  other  cures  earthly  suffering,  and 
even,  according  to  the  Evangelist's  view,  quells 
hellish  influence.  This  contrast  is  brought  out 
very  vividly  in  Raffaelle's  great  picture. 

37.  next  day.  As  the  Transfiguration  took 
place  at  night,  a  few  hours  must  have  elapsed, 
possibly  spent  in  rest,  before  the  descent  took 
place.  As  Luke  writes  for  Gentiles  he  leaves  out 
what  was  of  special  interest  to  Jews,  Jesus'  identi- 
fication of  the  Baptist  with  Elijah. 

38.  look.  With  pity,  only  child.  A  character- 
istic Lucan  addition. 

39.  The  description  of  the  disease  is  given  in 
the  current  medical  terms  (Hobart).  teareth. 
R.V.  marg.,  "  convulseth." 

40.  disciples.  Probably  the  nine  who  had  been 
left  behind  ;  it  may  be  the  absence  of  Jesus  so 
enfeebled  their  faith  that  they  could  not  exercise 
the  power  entrusted  to  them  (ver.  1). 

41.  faithless  and  perverse  generation  (cf. 
Isa,  Ixv.  2).  Mark  tells  us  that  in  the  crowd  were 
"scribes  questioning  with"  the  disciples.  Jesus' 
severe  rebuke  would  suggest  that  the  father,  who 
had  the  desire  for  the  cure  but  not  confidence  that 
the  cure  could  be  wrought,  was  being  used  as  a 
tool  by  these  wily  foes  of  Jesus  to  discredit,  if  not 
Him,  at  least  His  disciples  in  His  absence. 

42.  healed.  So  violent  was  the  paroxysm,  that 
the  boy  needed  further  care   from   Jesus  besides 


i82   Westminster  New  Testament 

the    cure   of  the    epilepsy,      father.    Cf.    vii.    15, 
viii.  55, 

43a.  Luke  again  spares  the  disciples  by  leaving 
out  Jesus'  rebuke. 


Luke  ix.  436-45  (  =  Mark  ix.  30-32  =  Matt.  xvii.  22,  23). 

THE  SECOND  PREDICTION  OF 
THE  PASSION. 

But  while   they  wondered   every  one  at  all  things  which 

44  Jesus  did,  he  said  unto  his  disciples,  Let  these  sayings 
sink  down  into  your  ears  :    for  the  Son  of  man  shall  be 

45  delivered  into  the  hands  of  men.  But  they  understood 
not  this  saying,  and  it  was  hid  from  them,  that  they 
perceived  it  not :  and  they  feared  to  ask  him  of  that 
saying. 

The  confession  at  Caesarea  Philippi  was  followed 
by  the  first  prediction  of  the  Passion,  and  so  the 
manifestation  of  Jesus'  glory  on  the  Mount  to  the 
three  disciples,  and  of  His  power  at  the  foot  to  all, 
is  followed  by  the  second  prediction. 

436.  wondered.  From  this  mood,  so  opposed 
to  the  attitude  Jesus  desired  in  His  disciples.  He 
arouses  them  by  bringing  them  face  to  face  with 
the  real  situation.  It  is  not  as  the  wonder-worker, 
but  as  the  suffering  Saviour  He  desires  them  to 
know,  trust,  and  follow  Him. 

44.  Let  these  sayings,  etc.  The  sentence 
means :  If  you  do  not  quite  understand  My  words 
now,  store  them  up  in  your  memory  till  you  can. 
Let  the  impression  of  My  words  be  deeper  than 
that  of  My  miracles,  delivered.  This  is  an  ad- 
ditional feature  of  the  prediction.  Had  Judas 
given  any  sign  of  his  mood   after   the   first   pre- 


St.  Luke  ix.  46-48  183 

dictioDj  which  led  Jesus  to  expect  that  He  would 
be  betrayed  by  a  disciple  ?  But  the  word  may 
also  mean  that  God  in  the  fulfilment  of  His  will 
would  leave  Him  in  the  hands  of  men. 

45.  hid  from  them.  A  Hebraism  (cf.  Ezek. 
xxii.  26)  found  only  here  in  the  N.T.  that  they. 
Luke  regards  the  misunderstanding  of  the  disciples 
as  included  in  the  Divine  plan.  Had  they  under- 
stood, the  course  of  events  might  have  been  differ- 
ent. It  is  safer  for  us  to  emphasise  how  much  the 
sorrow  of  Jesus  was  deepened  by  His  loneliness. 
His  disciples  stood  aloof  from  Him  when  their 
companionship  would  have  meant  most  to  Him. 
feared.  Probably  they  shrank  from  hearing  more 
clearly  and  fully  the  disappointment  of  all  their 
hopes,  the  defeat  of  all  their  aims. 


Luke  ix.  46-48  (  =  Mark  ix.  33-37  =  Matt,  xviii.  1-5). 

THE  CHILD  AS  THE  TEST  OF 
DISCIPLESHIP. 

46  Then    there   arose   a   reasoning   among   them,    which    of 

47  them  should  be  greatest.  And  Jesus,  perceiving  the 
thought  of  their  heart,  took  a  child,  and  set  him  by  him, 

48  and  said  unto  them,  Whosoever  shall  receive  this  child  in 
my  name  receiveth  me :  and  whosoever  shall  receive  me 
receiveth  him  that  sent  me  :  for  he  that  is  least  among  you 
all,  the  same  shall  be  great. 

The  inability  of  the  disciples  to  understand 
Jesus'  prediction  of  His  Passion  was  due  to  their 
preoccupation  with  expectations  of  their  own 
about  the  Messiahship.  They  expected  an  earthly 
kingdom,  and  their  ambition  for  the  highest 
places  in  it  turned  them  into  rivals  and  disputants. 


i84   Westminster  New  Testament 

Jesus  kindly  yet  firmly  rebuked  their  spirit. 
Matthew  and  Mark  place  this  incident  on  the 
return  to  Capernaum  from  Csesarea  Philippi. 

46.  reasoning  among  them.  It  was  not 
silent,  but  became  altogether  vocal.  Possibly 
Jesus'  choice  of  the  three  on  several  occasions, 
or  the  commendation  of  Peter  may  have  provoked 
the  dispute. 

47.  the  thought  of  their  heart.  Probably 
each  thought  he  deserved  to  be  the  greatest ;  but 
in  all  their  discussions  few,  if  any,  would  blurt 
that  belief  out  quite  frankly,  but  they  would 
champion  one  another's  claims,  child.  Cf.  x.  21, 
xvii.  2,  xviii.  l6.  by  him.  R.V.,  "by  His  side," 
in  the  place  of  honour,  and  as  Jesus  was  surrounded 
by  the  disciples,  "  in  the  midst "  of  them. 

48.  Luke  (again  sparing  the  disciples)  does  not 
here  give  the  saying  about  the  necessity  of  the 
conversion  of  the  disciples,  and  their  becoming  as 
Uttle  children,  but  gives  a  concrete  instance  of  the 
kind  of  spirit  Jesus  desires,  and  will  reward.  Men 
ambitious  about  high  office  in  an  earthly  kingdom 
would  think  a  child  beneath  their  notice,  and 
would  give  him  no  welcome  (cf  xviii.  15-17).  this 
child.  Or  humble  believers  such  as  he.  in  my 
name.  Not  from  a  natural  love  of  children  merely, 
but  recognising  his  relationship  to  Jesus,  me  .  •  • 
him  that  sent  me.  Lowliness  is  the  way  to 
human  greatness,  humility  the  condition  of  Divine 
communion.  least.  Gr.  "lesser,"  in  a  lowly 
position.  Not  shall  be,  but  "is"  great.  Not 
greatest,  for  in  the  Kingdom  there  is  no  ambition 
and  rivalry. 


St.  Luke  ix.  49,  50  185 


Luke  ix.  49,  50  (  =  Mark  ix.  38-40). 
INTOLERANCE  REBUKED. 

49  And  John  answered  and  said,  Master,  we  saw  one  casting 
out  devils  in  thy  name ;  and  we  forbad  him,  because  he 

50  followeth  not  with  us.     And  Jesus  said  unto  him,  Forbid 
him  not :  for  he  that  is  not  against  us  is  for  us. 

Jesus'  rebuke  of  ambition  and  commendation  of 
humility  set  John's  conscience  a-working.  He  and 
possibly  his  brother  James,  probably  when  sent  out 
on  the  mission,  had  refused  a  welcome  to  a  disciple 
not  of  their  company,  whom  they  had  found  using 
the  name  of  Jesus  in  exorcisms,  and  had  asserted 
their  exclusive  right  so  to  use  it.  He  confesses 
what  he  now  recognises  may  have  been  an  error. 
Another  connection  of  thought,  however,  is  also 
possible.  Jesus  had  given  His  name  as  the  reason 
for  welcoming  the  child.  John  is  sure  that  such  a 
use  of  the  name  as  this  man  made  was  illegitimate, 
and  that  Jesus'  requirement  could  not  apply  to  this 
case.  Possibly  he  spoke  expecting  approval  of  his 
action  from  Jesus.  Jesus  shows  that  humility  goes 
together  with  charity  and  tolerance  (cf.  Num.  xi. 
29). 

49.  in  thy  name  (cf.  Acts  iii.  6,  xvi.  18,  and 
especially  xix.  13-16).  The  name  here  was  sin- 
cerely and  successfully  used,  forbad  him.  "  tried 
or  continued  to  forbid." 

50.  Forbid  .  .  .  not.  "cease  to  forbid"  (cf.  onvii. 
13).  he  that  is  not  against  us  (R.V.,  "you") 
is  for  us  (R.V.,  "you").  The  contrary  is  stated 
in  the  saying,  "He  that  is  not  with  Me  is  against 
Me  "  (xi.  23).  But  there  is  no  contradiction.  Each 
man  should  recognise  that  for  himself  neutrality  is 


i86   Westminster  New  Testament 

hostility  to  Jesus'  cause,  but  should  be  prepared  to 
admit  as  regards  others  that  they  may  not  be 
hostile  to  Jesus  even  if  they  do  not  identify 
themselves  with  Him  in  just  the  way  he  himself 
does. 

This  ends  the  first  main  division  of  Luke's  Gospel, 
and  is  the  close  of  the  Galilaean  ministry  as  he 
records  it,  for  the  most  part  guided  by  Mark's 
narrative. 


IV.  THE  "TRAVEL  DOCUMENT" 
(Luke  ix.  51-xviii.   14). 

At  this  point,  ix.  51,  Luke  leaves  the  guidance  of 
Mark,  and  does  not  return  to  it  till  xviii.  15.  This 
section  contains  a  great  deal  of  material  peculiar  to 
him,  as  well  as  much  that  he  has,  in  common  with 
Matthew,  derived  from  Q.  Although  some  scholars 
have  spoken  of  the  "  travel  document,"  this  must 
not  be  understood  as  a  single  literary  source,  but  a 
combination  of  various  literary  sources  and  oral 
traditions.  The  justification  for  the  name  is  that 
Jesus  is  supposed  to  be  on  His  way  from  Galilee 
to  Judaea  and  Jerusalem,  and  is  travelling  in 
Samaria  and  Peraea.  Luke  gives  no  clear  enough 
indication  that  he  knows  himself  to  be  recording 
three  distinct  journeys,  although  ix.  51,  xiii.  22, 
and  xvii.  11  suggest  this  (see  Introduction, 
p.  23).  The  indications  of  time  and  place  are 
vague  throughout ;  for  as  soon  as  Luke  left  Mark's 
leading,  he  had  no  definite  information  about  the 
order  of  events  to  guide  him. 


St.  Luke  ix.  51-56  187 


(A)  The  First  Section  (ix.  51-xiii.  21). 

Luke  ix.  51-56. 
THE  SAMARITAN  VILLAGE. 

51  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  time  was  come  that  he 
should  be  received  up,  he  stedfastly  set  his  face  to  go  to 

52  Jerusalem,  and  sent  messengers  before  his  face  :  and  they 
went,  and  entered  into  a  village  of  the  Samaritans,  to  make 

53  ready  for  him.     And  they  did  not  receive  him,  because  his 

54  face  was  as  though  he  would  go  to  Jerusalem.  And  when 
his  disciples  James  and  John  saw  this,  they  said,  Lord, 
wilt   thou    that  we   command  fire   to   come   down   from 

55  heaven,  and  consume  them,  even  as  Elias  did  ?  But  he 
turned,  and  rebuked  them,  and  said,  Ye  know  not  what 

56  manner  of  spirit  ye  are  of.  For  the  Son  of  man  is  not 
come  to  destroy  men's  lives,  but  to  save  them.  And  they 
went  to  another  village. 

As  the  previous  section  closed  v/ith  an  instance 
of  the  intolerance  of  the  disciples  James  and  John, 
so  does  this  section  open.  As  the  ministry  in 
Galilee  began  with  the  rejection  in  Nazareth,  so 
does  this  ministry  in  Samaria  and  Peraea  begin 
with  a  refusal  of  hospitality. 

51.  when  the  time  was  come.  Far  better 
R.V.  marg.,  "when  the  days  were  being  fulfilled/' 
for  this  brings  out  a  characteristic  idea  that  a  time 
was  divinely  allotted  to  Jesus'  ministry  in  all  its 

stages,    he  should  be  received  up.   Lit.,  "  of  His 

assumption "  into  heaven,  the  Ascension.  he 
Stedfastly  set  his  face.  A  Hebraism  (cf.  Jer. 
xxi.  10;  Ezek.  vi.  2;  Isa.  1.  7). 

52.  sent  messengers.    A  precaution  against  an 


i88   Westminster  New  Testament 

unfriendly  reception.  the  Samaritans.  The 
direct  route  to  Jerusalem  from  Galilee  was  through 
Samaria,  but,  owing  to  the  hostility  of  Jew  and 
Samaritan,  the  longer  route  by  Peraea  was  generally 
preferred. 

53.  On  this  occasion  the  Samaritans  justified  the 
Jewish  prejudice  against  them.  Jesus'  evident 
intention  to  go  up  to  worship  in  Jerusalem 
explains  this  churlishness,  for  the  Samaritans  had 
a  rival  temple  at  Mount  Gerizim. 

54.  even  as  Ellas  did.  Is  rightly  omitted  in 
R.V.  (cf  2  Kings  i.  10).  But  the  sight  of  Elijah 
on  the  Mount  may  have  suggested  an  imitation  of 
his  action  to  the  two  brothers,  who  showed  that 
they  deserved  the  epithet  "sons  of  thunder" 
(Mark  iii.  17). 

55.  56.  The  R.V.  rightly  omits  the  two  sayings 
of  Jesus  given  in  the  A.V,,  as  insufficiently  attested 
by  the  MS.  evidence ;  and  their  authenticity  in 
this  place  cannot  be  maintained,  although  they 
may  be  genuine  sayings  of  Jesus. 

55.  turned.  He  seems  to  have  been  walking 
ahead  of  the  company  of  disciples. 

56.  another  village.  It  is  uncertain  whether 
Jesus  tried  another  Samaritan  village,  or  abandoned 
His  attempt  to  reach  the  Samaritans. 


Luke  ix.  57-62  (cf.  Matt.  viii.  19-22). 
WAVERING  FOLLOWERS. 

57  And  it  came  to  pass,  that,  as  they  went  in   the   way,  a 
certain  man  said  unto  him,  Lord,  I  will  follow  thee  whither- 

58  soever  thou  goest.     And  Jesus  said  unto  him,  Foxes  have 
holes,  and  birds  of  the  air  have  nests ;  but  the  Son  of  man 


St.  Luke  ix.  57-62  189 

59  hath  not  where  to  lay  his  head.  And  he  said  unto 
another,  Follow  me.     But  he  said,  Lord,  suffer  me  first 

60  to  go  and  bury  my  father.  Jesus  said  unto  him,  Let  the 
dead  bury  their  dead :  but  go  thou  and  preach  the  king- 

61  dom  of  God.  And  another  also  said.  Lord,  I  will  follow 
thee :  but  let  me  first  go  bid  them  farewell,  which  are  at 

62  home  at  my  house.  And  Jesus  said  unto  him,  No  man, 
having  put  his  hand  to  the  plough,  and  looking  back,  is 
fit  for  the  kingdom  of  God. 

This  passage  deals  with  three  wavering 
followers.  Matthew  mentions  two  of  these  cases, 
and  places  the  incident  at  an  early  stage  in  Jesus' 
Galilaean  ministry^  between  the  cure  of  Peter's 
wife's  mother  and  the  storm  on  the  lake.  The 
common  material  of  the  two  Evangelists  Hamack 
assigns  to  Q.  But  Luke  adds  a  third  case,  for 
which  there  is  no  parallel  in  Matthew  or  Mark. 
The  severity  and  urgency  of  Jesus'  demand  fits  in 
better  Avith  the  "storm  and  stress  "  of  the  close  of 
the  ministry  than  with  its  "joyous  spring."  If 
He  was  Himself  going  up  to  Jerusalem  to  die,  we 
can  understand  better  His  requirement  that  His 
disciples  should  deny  themselves,  take  up  their 
cross  and  follow  Him.  Luke  grouping  these 
incidents  together  here  does  not  necessarily  imply 
that  he  assigned  them  to  the  same  day ;  the 
arrangement  is  according  to  subject,  not  time. 

57.  a  certain  man.  Matthew  calls  him  a  scribe. 
He  makes  a  sincere,  but,  as  Jesus'  answer  shows,  an 
insufficiently  considered  offer. 

58.  nests.  Gr.  "  lodging-places  "  =  "  roosts." 
not  where  to  lay  his  head.  The  situation  in 
Luke  gives  its  full  meaning  to  the  words,  as  that 
in  Matthew  does  not.  The  saying  is  to  be  taken 
literally,    and     not     figuratively,    as     Dr.     Bruce 


igo   Westminster  New  Testament 

suggests  :  "  Jesus  had  no  place  where  He  could 
lay  His  head  in  the  religion  of  His  time"  (Ex- 
positors Greek  Testament,  i.  p.  142).  Jesus  was 
homeless,  and  required  His  disciples  to  be ;  that 
He  enjoyed  the  hospitality  of  friends  sometimes 
does  not  contradict  this  statement.  The  saying 
amounts  to  this  :  "  Count  the  cost." 

59.  another.  Matthew  tells  us  that  he  was  a 
disciple.  Jesus  discourages  a  volunteer  ;  He  seeks 
to  enlist  one  yet  undecided,  but  He  must  have 
seen  something  in  them  to  justify  the  summons. 
go  and  bury  my  father.  If  the  request  is  to  be 
taken  literally,  Jesus'  answer  shows  how  com- 
pletely He  Himself  subordinated  all  earthly 
relationships  to  the  claims  of  the  Kingdom,  and 
how  intense  was  His  absorption  in  His  present 
purpose.  The  demand  was  not  harsh  or  unkind, 
although  it  may  appear  so,  if  we  apply  another 
standard  of  relative  value  than  He  did.  If  what 
the  man  meant  was  that  he  would  stay  at  home 
till  his  father  died,  his  was  a  frivolous  and  almost 
insulting  reply  to  such  a  summons. 

60.  The  answer  can  be  taken  in  two  ways: 
"  Leave  the  spiritually  dead  to  bury  the  physically 
dead,"  or  "  Let  the  spiritually  dead  bury  the 
spiritually  dead."  In  the  one  case  Jesus  states 
the  fact  of  the  father's  death,  in  the  second  He 
pronounces  judgment  on  his  religious  condition. 
The  former  is  the  probable  sense.  There  are 
plenty  indifferent  to  the  Kingdom  who  can  attend 
to  such  duties ;  one  interested  in  it  can  abandon 
them  for  service  of  a  greater  worth  and  a  higher 
claim.  There  may  have  been  something  in  the 
disciple's  mood  which  made  it  imperative  that  he 
should    not    go   back  to  his  home,  but  should  be 


St.  Luke  X.  I-20 


191 


forced  to  instant  decision  for  Jesus.  The  charge 
given  shows  a  special  capacity  that  might  not  be 
used  as  it  ought. 

61.  The  third  candidate,  mentioned  by  Luke 
alone,  "  offers  himself  like  the  first,  but  makes 
conditions  like  the  second"  (Godet).  bid  fare- 
well. Cf.  Elisha  (1  Kings  xix.  20),  and  contrast 
Matthew  (v.  28). 

62.  Jesus  adopts  a  common  proverb  (Hesiod, 
Pliny),  looking  back.  Cf.  xvii.  31,  32;  Phil, 
iii.  13.  fit.  Literally,  '^well-placed."  A  divided 
interest  would  spoil  the  discipleship.  There  is 
no  ground  for  the  conjecture  that  this  man  was 
Matthew  or  Luke  himself.  Probably  Luke  places 
these  dealings  with  candidates  as  an  introduction 
to  the  mission  of  the  Seventy,  which  follows. 


Luke  X.  1-20  (cf.  Matt.  ix.  37-x.  15,  40,  xi.  21-24). 

THE  MISSION  OF  THE  SEVENTY. 

After  these  things  the  Lord  appointed  other  seventy  also, 
and  sent  them  two  and  two  before    his  face  into    every 

2  city  and  place,  whither  he  himself  would  come.  Therefore 
said  he  unto  them,  The  harvest  truly  is  great,  but  the 
labourers  are  few  :  pray  ye  therefore  the  Lord  of  the 
harvest,  that    he    would  send    forth    labourers    into    his 

3  harvest.     Go  your  ways  :    behold,   I   send  you  forth  as 

4  lambs  among  wolves.     Carry  neither  purse,  nor  scrip,  nor 

5  shoes  :  and  salute  no  man  by  the  way.  And  into  what- 
soever house  ye  enter,  first  say.   Peace  be  to  this  house. 

6  And  if  the  son  of  peace  be  there,  your  peace  shall  rest  upon 

7  it  :  if  not,  it  shall  turn  to  you  again.  And  in  the  same 
house  remain,  eating  and  drinking  such  things  as  they 
give  :  for  the  labourer  is  worthy  of  his  hire.     Go  not  from 

8  house  to  house.     And  into  whatsoever  city  ye  enter,  and 


192   Westminster  New  Testament 

they  receive  you,  eat  such  things  as  are  set  before  you  : 
9  and  heal  the  sick  that  are  therein,  and  say  unto  them,  The 

10  kingdom  of  God  is  come  nigh  unto  you.  But  into  what- 
soever city  ye  enter,  and  they  receive  you  not,  go  your 

1 1  ways  out  into  the  streets  of  the  same,  and  say.  Even  the 
very  dust  of  your  city,  which  cleaveth  on  us,  we  do  wipe 
off  against  you  :  notwithstanding  be  ye  sure  of  this,  that 

12  the  kingdom  of  God  is  come  nigh  unto  you.  But  I  say 
unto  you,  that  it  shall  be  more  tolerable  in  that  day  for 

13  Sodom,  than  for  that  city.  Woe  unto  thee,  Chorazin  ! 
woe  unto  thee,  Bethsaida  !  for  if  the'  mighty  works  had 
been  done  in  Tyre  and  Sidon,  which  have  been  done  in 
you,  they  had  a  great  while  ago  repented,  sitting  in  sack- 

14  cloth  and  ashes.     But  it  shall  be  more  tolerable  for  Tyre 

15  and  Sidon  at  the  judgment,  than  for  you.  And  thou, 
Capernaum,  which  art  exalted  to  heaven,  shall  be   thrust 

16  down  to  hell.  He  that  heareth  you  heareth  me ;  and  he 
that  despiseth  you  despiseth  me  ;  and  he  that  despiseth  me 

17  despiseth  him  that  sent  me.  And  the  seventy  returned 
again  with  joy,  saying,  Lord,  even  the  devils  are  subject 

18  unto  us  through  thy  name.     And  he  said  unto  them,   I 

19  beheld  Satan  as  lightning  fall  from  heaven.  Behold,  I 
give  unto  you  power  to  tread  on  serpents  and  scorpions, 
and  over  all  the  power  of  the  enemy  :  and  nothing  shall  by 

20  any  means  hurt  you.  Notwithstanding  in  this  rejoice  not, 
that  the  spirits  are  subject  unto  you ;  but  rather  rejoice, 
because  your  names  are  written  in  heaven. 

This  incident  is  recorded  by  Luke  alone  ;  but 
need  not  for  that  reason  be  regarded  as  un- 
historical,  for  Mark  is  concerned  only  with  the 
Galilaean  ministry,  and  Matthew,  using  Mark's 
framework,  is  interested  almost  exclusively  in 
Jesus'  teaching.  Luke  alone  records  attempts  to 
reach  Samaria  and  Peraea,  and  that  Jesus  made 
the   attempts    is    not     at     all    improbable.     The 


St.  Luke  X.  I-20  193 

instructions  are  almost  exactly  the  same  as  those 
given  to  the  Twelve,  and  recorded  in  Matthew  ;  and 
here  the  two  Evangelists  have  probably  been  draw- 
ing on  their  common  source  Q.  The  circumstances 
would  call  for  similar  instructions.  Tradition 
would  probably  be  unable  to  keep  distinct  the 
instructions  given  on  two  such  occasions.  Luke 
found  the  sayings  of  Jesus  in  Q  without  probably 
any  definite  indication  of  the  occasion  of  utterance, 
and  gave  them  what  seemed  an  appropriate  setting. 
While  the  Gentiles  are  not  expressly  mentioned 
as  included  in  the  mission,  yet  the  prohibition  to 
the  Twelve  of  Matt.  x.  5,  6  ("  Go  not  into  the  way 
of  the  Gentiles,  and  into  any  city  of  the  Samari- 
tans enter  ye  not.  But  go  rather  to  the  lost 
sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel")  is  absent.  The 
population  of  Samaria  and  Peraea  was  more  mixed, 
and  so  it  is  likely  that  Gentiles  would  be  reached. 
This  wider  scope  of  the  mission  seems  to  be  im- 
plied in  the  number  seventy,  which  was  probably 
suggested  not  by  the  seventy  elders  who  helped 
Moses,  or  by  the  seventy  members  of  the 
Sanhedrin,  but  by  the  Jewish  tradition  of  "the 
number  of  the  nations  of  the  earth"  (Gen.  x.). 
Plummer  (p.  9,6^)  suggests  that  the  mission  took 
place  at  the  time  of  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  when 
in  the  sacrifices  "there  were  seventy  bullocks  to 
correspond  to  the  number  of  the  seventy  nations 
of  the  world"  (Edersheim,  The  Temple,  p.  240). 
This  passage  in  Luke  illustrates  his  universalism. 

1.  the  Lord.  One  of  the  signs  of  later  theo- 
logical ideas  in  the  Gospel.  appointed.  Not 
as  the  Twelve  for  permanent,  but  for  temporary 
service,  yet  a  more  important  mission  than  in  ix. 
52.      other.     Besides    the   Twelve    (cf.    ix.    1-6). 

^3 


194   Westminster  New  Testament 

two  and  two.  For  companionship,  and  mutual 
counsel  and  help  (cf.  Mark  vi.  7  ;  Luke  vii.  19  ; 
Acts  xiii.  2,  xv.  27,  39,  40,  xvii.  14,  xix.  22). 
would  come.    Better  R.V.,  "  was  about  to  come." 

2.  Cf.  Matt.  ix.  37,  38.  would  send  forth. 
'^  thrust  "  ;  with  such  urgency  as  Jesus  had  Himself 
just  used. 

3.  Cf  Matt.  X.  16.  lambs.  Matthew  has 
"sheep." 

4.  Carry,  etc.  Also  an  instruction  for  temple- 
worshippers,  shoes.  Except  these  on  the  feet, 
salute.  No  delay  on  the  journey  was  to  be  allowed, 
as  there  was  need  of  haste. 

5.  Cf.  Matt.  X.  12.  A  house  reached,  the  usual 
salutation  was  to  be  offered,  peace.  Cf.  ii.  14  ; 
John  XX.  19. 

6.  a  son  of  peace.  A  Hebraism,  one  devoted 
to  peace  (cf  John  xvii.  12;  Eph.  v.  6).  turn  tO 
you  again.  If  the  blessing  of  getting  the  greet- 
ing is  not  his,  the  blessing  of  giving  it  will  be  yours. 

7.  the  same  house.  Better, "  that  very  house  " 
which  welcomes  your  greeting.  eating  and 
drinking.  Enjoying  the  hospitality  offered  without 
any  hesitation,  because  the  labourer  is  worthy  of 
his  hire.  Matt.  x.  10  has  "his  food."  This  saying 
is  quoted  in  1  Tim.  v.  18,  and  seems  to  be  in- 
troduced with  the  usual  formula  of  citation  from 
the  O.T.,  "  the  scripture  saith "  ;  but  this  may 
apply  only  to  the  first  quotation,  from  house 
to  house.  Time  was  not  to  be  lost  in  social 
entertainments. 

8.  eat  such  things.  Don't  ask  for  other  food 
than  what  is  offered.  The  cause  might  be  injured 
by  greed,  or  discontent,  or  tactlessness. 

9.  them.    Not  the  sick  only  (cf.  Matt.  xii.  28). 


St.  Luke  X.  I-20 


195 


10.  streets.  A  public  warning  is  to  be  given  in 
any  city  which  as  a  whole  has  proved  unfriendly. 

11.  For  the  symbolic  action,  see  on  ix.  5.  The 
Kingdom  had  been  brought  nigh  to  bless,  but, 
refused,  left  behind  a  judgment. 

12-16.  Luke  here  passes  to  sayings  of  Jesus 
Matthew  gives  in  another  context,  immediately 
after  the  commendation  of  John  the  Baptist,  and 
the  comparison  of  the  people  to  the  children  in 
the  market-place.  If  Jesus  had  left  Galilee,  and 
this  mission  was  in  Samaria  and  Peraea,  it  is 
evident  that  Luke  fails  to  give  the  proper 
historical  setting.  He  is  here  guided  by  associa- 
tion of  ideas.  The  instruction  of  the  disciples 
regarding  their  treatment  of  places  which  did  not 
receive  them  leads  on  to  what  Jesus  had  said  about 
the  cities  that  did  not  freely  accept  His  message. 

12.  Sodom.  Luke  omits  ^' and  Gomorrah^' 
although  the  two  cities  usually  go  together. 

13.  Chorazin.  Mentioned  only  here  and  in  the 
parallel  in  Matt.  xi.  21.  It  may  be  the  modern 
Kerazeh,  about  two  miles  from  Tell  Hum, 
generally  identified  with  Capernaum,  mighty 
works.  Gr.  "powers  "  ;  one  of  the  N.T.  words  for 
miracles.  sackcloth.  A  hair-texture  used  for 
clothing. 

14.  But.  More  emphatic  R.V.,  "  howbeit." 
Though  both  cities  were  guilty,  your  guilt  is 
greater  (cf.  Isa.  xxiii. ;  Jer.  xxv.  22,  xlvii.  4 ;  Ezek. 
xxvi.  3-7,  xxviii.  12-24,  for  prophetic  denunciations 
of  Tyre  and  Sidon). 

15.  which  art  exalted  to  heaven.  The  R.V. 
is  better,  "shalt  thou  be  exalted  unto  heaven.^" 
It  was  the  centre  of  Jesus'  Galilaean  mission. 
Hades.     The  abode   of  the  dead,  not  Gehenna, 


196   Westminster  New  Testament 

the  place  of  torment.  Cf.  Isa.  xiv.  13-15.  From 
the  heights  of  pride  to  the  depths  of  ruin — this  is 
the  threat.  The  whole  region  is  now  desolate,  and 
it  is  difficult  to  discover  the  sites  of  these  cities. 

16.  The  Seventy  are  to  realise  that  their  mission 
is  the  judgment  of  the  places  they  visit,  for  Jesus 
identifies  God  with  Himself,  and  Himself  with 
them  (cf.  Acts  ix.  4).  This  not  only  shows  the 
dignity,  but  also  the  responsibility  of  their  task 
(cf.  Matt.  X.  40 ;  John  xiii.  20 ;  1  Thess.  iv.  8  ; 
1  Sam.  viii.  7). 

17-20.  As  Luke  alone  records  the  mission  of 
the  Seventy,  so  the  account  of  the  return  is 
peculiar  to  him. 

17.  returned.  Not  all  at  once  nor  to  the  same 
place,  as  Jesus  was  moving  about,  demons.  Their 
successful  exorcism  gave  them  more  satisfaction 
than  preaching  the  Gospel.  Even  though  they 
acknowledged  that  the  power  was  in  His  name, 
Jesus  gently  rebukes  their  satisfaction. 

18.  I  beheld  Satan  fallen  as  lightning 
from  heaven.  A  figurative  expression  of  Jesus' 
confidence  in  the  triumph  of  His  cause  over  the 
forces  of  evil.  It  is  not  likely  that  any  visionary 
experience  is  here  referred  to.  lightning. 
Cf.  xvii.  24 ;  Matt.  xxiv.  27.  heaven.  Not  the 
abode  of  the  blessed,  but  the  place  of  pride  and 
power.  Taking  heaven  literally  as  the  abode  of  the 
blessed,  some  expositors  think  Jesus  is  referring 
here  to  Satan's  expulsion  from  heaven  as  a  warning 
to  the  disciples  not  to  indulge  in  pride.  But  this 
is  not  at  all  a  probable  interpretation. 

19.  The  disciples'  surprise  showed  that  they  had 
not  realised  that  Jesus  had  entrusted  them  with 
authority  to  overcome  all  forces  of  evil.     If  they 


St.  Luke  X.  21-24  197 

had  recognised  His  greatness  more  fully,  they  would 
not  have  been  so  satisfied  with  their  success  in  this 
one  conquest  of  evil.  The  saying  seems  to  combine 
reminiscences  of  Ps.  xci.  13  and  Deut.  viii.  15, 
and  has  some  resemblance  to  Mark  xvi.  17,  18, 
which  is  now  generally  admitted  not  to  be 
authentic.  The  writer  must  admit  that  this  and 
the  preceding  verse  do  not  impress  him  as  genuine 
sayings  of  Jesus.  They  are  found  in  Luke  only. 
Not  only  spiritual  triumph,  but  even  physical 
immunity  seems  to  be  here  promised. 

20.  Great  as  these  promised  privileges  are,  there 
is  something  better.  He  who  casts  out  demons 
may  miss  eternal  life,  and  so  the  assurance  of 
eternal  life  is  better  than  power  over  demons. 
because  your  names  are  written  in  heaven. 
The  figure  is  taken  from  O.T.  (Isa.  iv.  3 ;  Ezek. 
xiii.  9 ;  Dan.  xii.  1),  but  gains  higher  meaning  in 
N.T.  (Phil.  iii.  20;  Heb.  xii.  23;  Rev.  xiii.  8, 
xvii.  8,  etc.).  No  absolute  predestination  to  eternal 
life  is  taught  in  this  assurance  of  citizenship  in  the 
Kingdom  of  God. 


Luke  X.  21-24  (cf.  Matt.  |jj.  25-27,  xiii.  16, 17). 

THE  JOY  OF  THE  REVELATION  OF  THE 
FATHER. 

21  In  that  hour  Jesus  rejoiced  in  spirit,  and  said,  I  thank  thee, 
O  Father,  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  that  thou  hast  hid 
these  things  from  the  wise  and  prudent,  and  hast  revealed 
them  unto  babes  :  even  so,  Father ;  for  so  it  seemed  good 

22  in  thy  sight.  All  things  are  delivered  to  me  of  my  Father  : 
and  no  man  knoweth  who  the  Son  is,  but  the  Father  ;  and 
who  the  Father  is,  but  the  Son,  and  he  to  whom  the  Son 

23  will  reveal  him.     And  he  turned  him  unto  his  disciples, 


igS   Westminster  New  Testament 

and  said  privately,  Blessed  are  the  eyes  which  see  the 
24  things  that  ye  see  :  for  I  tell  you,  that  many  prophets  and 
kings  have  desiied  to  see  those  things  which  ye  see,  and 
have  not  seen  them ;  and  to  hear  those  things  which  ye 
hear,  and  have  not  heard  them. 

Luke  connects  with  the  return  of  the  Seventy 
two  utterances  of  Jesus  which  Matthew  gives  in 
different  contexts.  Jesus'  own  joy  in  His  revelation 
of  the  Father  is  given  by  Matthew  immediately 
after  the  woes  on  the  impenitent  cities.  Jesus' 
congratulation  of  His  disciples  in  their  receiving 
this  revelation  Matthew  gives  in  connection  with 
Jesus'  resolve  to  teach  the  people  in  parables,  but 
to  unveil  the  mystery  of  the  Kingdom  to  his 
disciples.  The  association  of  ideas  which  leads 
Luke  to  connect  the  two  utterances  is  obvious. 
The  disciples  as  receiving  share  the  joy  of  Jesus 
as  giving  the  revelation  of  the  Father.  The 
context  in  Matthew  does,  however,  seem  more 
probable.  But  there  is  an  utterance  of  Jesus  absent 
from  Luke,  though  given  by  Matthew  in  immediate 
connection  with  the  first  of  the  utterances  which 
we  are  considering,  which  seems  so  congenial  to 
his  spirit  and  purpose,  that  if  he  had  it  in  the 
common  source  Q  his  omission  is  almost  inex- 
plicable. It  is  the  gracious  invitation  of  Jesus  to 
the  labouring  and  heavy-laden  to  come  to  Him  for 
rest  (Matt.  xi.  28-30). 

21.  that  hour.  R.V.,  ^^  that  same  hour."  Luke 
intends  to  connect  the  utterances  closely  with  the 
return  of  the  Seventy,  rejoiced  in  spirit.  R.V., 
''  rejoiced  in  the  Holy  Spirit."  There  is  no  parallel 
to  this  expression.  It  was  a  divinely  inspired  ex- 
ultation.    Luke  alone  describes  the  mood.     thank> 


St.  Luke  X.  21-24 


199 


or  "praise"  (cf.  Rom.  xiv.  11,  xv.  9).  Father. 
The  personal  relation  to  Jesus  is  expressed  first. 
Lord.  The  universal  sovereignty  follows,  hide. 
Why  does  Christ  praise  God  for  this }  Is  it  because 
learning  and  intellect  are  not  made  a  condition  of 
the  revelation  given  in  Him  ?  or  is  it  the  Son's 
entire  submission  to  the  Father's  will  (cf.  Rom. 
i.  22 ;  1  Cor.  i.  19-31  ;  ^  Cor.  iv.  3,  4)  ?  the 
wise  and  prudent.  (R.V.,  "understanding"). 
In  their  own  judgment — that  is,  the  Scribes  and 
Pharisees,  babes.  Simple  and  unlearned  fisher- 
men, tax-gatherers,  as  were  the  disciples,  seemed 
good.  "  Well-pleasing  "  ;  lit.,  "  goodwill  it  was  in 
Thy  sight."     This  is  the  Father's  good  pleasure. 

22.  This  verse  has  been  called  "  a  slab  of 
Johannine  marble  in  the  plain  brick  structure  of  the 
Synoptics."  It  is  the  fullest  expression  of  Jesus' 
unique  self-consciousness  as  Son  of  God  found  in 
the  Synoptics,  and  justifies  the  Johannine  doctrine 
(iii.  35,  vi.  46,  viii.  19,  x.  15-30,  xiv.  9,  xvi.  15, 
xvii.  6-10).  It  is  found  in  Matthew  as  well  as 
Luke,  and  so  goes  back  to  their  common  source  Q ; 
and  there  is  no  good  ground  for  challenging  its 
authenticity,  delivered.  The  concealing  or  the 
revealing  of  the  Father  is  a  trust  and  a  task  com- 
mitted to  Jesus  by  God.  There  is  no  claim  of 
universal  sovereignty  here ;  but  of  entire  filial 
dependence,  who  the  Son  is.  Jesus  was  con- 
scious that  even  His  disciples  could  not  understand 
Him.  There  was  that  in  His  relation  to  God  which 
God  alone  could  know,  who  the  Father  is. 
God  had  been  revealed  to  others  before,  but  in 
His  character  and  purpose  as  Father  only  in  the 
filial  consciousness  of  Jesus,  will  reveal  him. 
R.V.  better,  "  willeth  to  reveal  Him."     What  is  the 


200 


Westminster  New  Testament 


Son's  by  nature,  He  imparts  to  men  in  grace.  It 
is  not  an  arbitrary  but  a  voluntary  function  Jesus 
here  claims. 

23,  24.  Another  utterance  of  Jesus  probably  on 
another  occasion,  but  easily  connected  in  thought 
with  the  preceding. 

23.  privately.  Was  the  previous  utterance  made 
in  public  ?  Matthew  has  "  blessed  are  your  eyes, 
for  they  see  ;  and  your  ears,  for  they  hear."  Luke 
slightly  alters  the  form  of  the  first  clause,  and  omits 
the  second. 

24.  prophets.  Cf.  i   Pet.  i.  lo,  n.    Kings. 

Such  as  David,  Solomon,  Hezekiah  ;  but  Matthew 
has  "  righteous  men  "  instead. 

Luke  X.  25-37  (cf.  Mark  xii.  28-34  =  Matt.  x^"«  34-40)' 
THE  GOOD  SAMARITAN. 

25  And,  behold,  a  certain  lawyer  stood  up,  and  tempted  him, 

26  saying,  Master,  what  shall  I  do  to  inherit  eternal  life  ?  He 
said  unto  him,  "What  is  written  in  the  law  ?  how  readest 

27  thou  ?  And  he  answering  said,  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy 
God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with  all 
thy  strength,  and  with  all  thy  mind  ;  and  thy  neighbour  as 

28  thyself.     And  he  said  unto  him,  Thou  hast  answered  right : 

29  this  do,  and  thou  shalt  live.     But  he,  willing  to  justify  him- 

30  self,  said  unto  Jesus,  And  who  is  my  neighbour  ?  And  Jesus 
answering  said,  A  certain  man  went  down  from  Jerusalem 
to  Jericho,  and  fell  among  thieves,  which  stripped  him  of 
his  raiment,  and  wounded  him,  and  departed,  leaving  him 

31  half  dead.  And  by  chance  there  came  down  a  certain  priest 
that  way  :  and  when  he  saw  him,  he  passed  by  on  the  other 

32  side.  And  likewise  a  Levite,  when  he  was  at  the  place, 
came  and  looked  on  him,  and  passed  by  on  the  other  side. 

33  But  a  certain  Samaritan,  as  he  journeyed,  came  where  he 

34  was  :  and  when  he  saw  him,  he  had  compassion  on  him,  and 


St.  Luke  X.  25-37  201 

went  to  him,  and  bound  up  his  wounds,  pouring  in  oil  and 
wine,  and  set  him  on  his  own  beast,  and  brought  him  to  an 

35  inn,  and  took  care  of  him.  And  on  the  morrow  when  he 
departed,  he  took  out  two  pence,  and  gave  them  to  the 
host,  and  said  unto  him.  Take  care  of  him  ;  and  whatsoever 
thou  spendest  more,  when  I  come  again,  I  will  repay  thee. 

36  Which  now  of  these  three,  thinkest  thou,  was  neighbour 

37  unto  him  that  fell  among  the  thieves  ?  And  he  said,  He  that 
showed  mercy  on  him.  Then  said  Jesus  unto  him.  Go,  and 
do  thou  likewise. 

The  Parable  of  the  Good  Samaritan  is  altogether 
peculiar  to  Luke,  but  the  introduction  to  it  has  a 
close  resemblance  to  Mark's  and  Matthew's  accounts 
of  one  of  the  questions  addressed  to  Jesus  on  the 
day  of  controversy  in  the  last  week  in  Jerusalem. 
But  there  are  some  differences,  and  it  is  quite 
probable  that  the  same  subject  was  discussed  on 
different  occasions.  If  we  identify  the  two  in- 
cidents, Luke  must  have  had  a  variant  tradition 
before  him,  as  he  is  clearly  not  following  Mark's 
account.  The  critic  would  be  inclined  to  say  that 
the  question  about  "  eternal  life  "  reflected  a  later 
stage  of  Christian  thought,  but  we  find  the  same 
question  in  Mark's  story  of  the  rich  young  ruler 
(x.  17).  Plummer  holds  that  this  parable  is  "not 
fiction,  but  history,"  as  Jesus  would  not  have 
attributed  such  conduct  to  priest  and  Levite  without 
some  ground  in  fact  (pp.  285-286). 

25.  tempted.  "Tested";  an  evil  intention  is 
not  necessarily  involved,  what  shall  I  do.  The 
legalist  point  of  view,  that  eternal  life  is  the  reward 
of  an  act  or  acts  of  special  moral  merit,  and  not  the 
necessary  consequence  of  holy  character,  inherit 
(cf.  Ps.  XXV.  13,  xxxvii.  9;  Isa.  Ix.  21).  The  promise 
to  Abraham  is  the  ground  of  this  hope. 


202    Westminster  New  Testament 

26.  Jesus  refers  him,  even  as  the  rich  young 
ruler,  to  the  Scriptures,  the  efficiency  of  which  for 
moral  guidance  is  also  recognised  in  xvi.  29-31. 
how.      "to  what  effect." 

27.  Quoted  from  Deut.  vi.  4-5,  xi.  13;  and 
Lev.  xix.  18.  That  the  lawyer  quoted  the  first 
command  is  not  surprising,  but  that  he  quoted  the 
second  is,  unless  he  already  desired  to  lead  up  to 
the  inquir}^,  who  is  my  neighbour  ? 

28.  In  Mark  xii.  32  the  praise  is  given  by  the 
scribes  to  Jesus,  do.  "continue  to  do"  (cf.  Rom. 
ii.  13,  X.  5  ;  Lev.  xviii.  5). 

29.  willing.  "  desiring."  justify.  "  put  him- 
self right" — that  is,  show  that  the  matter  was  not 
so  simple  as  Jesus'  treatment  suggested. 

SO.  The  parable  answers  the  question.  Who  is 
my  neighbour  ?  and  not  the  question.  What  shall 
I  do  to  inherit  eternal  life  ?  for  Jesus  requires 
piety  as  well  as  philanthropy,  answering  said. 
R.V.,  "made  answer";  Gr.  "took  him  up"  to 
answer  him.  going  down.  From  the  higher 
grounds  of  Judaea  to  the  level  of  the  Dead  Sea. 
Jericho.  Twenty  miles  from  Jerusalem,  thieves. 
R.V.,  "  robbers."  For  this  danger  the  road  was 
notorious  then,  and  has  been  since.  It  runs 
through  a  desolate,  uninhabited  region,  stripped 
and  wounded  (R.V.,  "  beat  ").  More  than  usual 
brutality. 

31.  chance.  Better,  "coincidence."  priest. 
It  is  conjectured  that  Jericho  was  a  priestly  city, 
and  that  he  was  returning  home  from  taking  his 
turn  of  ministry  in  the  temple. 

32.  came  and  looked  on  him.  R.V.,  "  came 
and  saw  him,"  still  more  heartless  conduct. 

S3.  Samaritan.     Scorned   by    the    Jew    as    a 


St.  Luke  X.  38-42  203 

schismatic  (cf.  xvii.  I6  ;  John  iv.  39-42),  yet  here 
presented  as  an  example  of  how  the  Law  was  to  be 
observed.  The  rebuke  of  Jewish  exclusiveness, 
and  possibly  of  the  disciples'  intolerance  (ix.  54), 
is  clearly  intended,  came  where  he  was.  Or 
"towards  him  "  (Acts  viii.  26,  xvi.  7  ;  Phil.  iii.  14). 
he  had  compassion.  Better  R,V.,  "he  was 
moved  with  compassion." 

34.  bound  Up.  A  doctor's  interest  is  shown. 
oil  and  wine.  Were  so  used  for  wounds,  beast. 
Lit.,  "property,"  then  "beast  of  burden"  (Acts 
xxiii.  24;  1  Cor.  xv.  39  ;  Rev.  xviii.  13). 

S5.  on  the  morrow.  ''  Towards  the  morrow  " 
(Acts  iv.  5).  pence.  See  on  vii.  41,  L  Not 
the  wounded  man.  when  I  come  again.  On 
my  return  journey. 

06.  Jesus  here  presses  home  the  moral.  He 
corrects  the  question.  We  should  say,  not  "  Who 
is  my  neighbour  ? "  who  has  claim  on  me  for 
neighbourliness?  But  "To  whom  can  I  prove 
neighbour  ? "  whom  is  it  my  duty  to  help  as 
neighbour  ? 

37.  The  lawyer  avoids  using  the  hated  word 
Samantan.  shewed.  Lit.  "did  mercy"  (cf.  the 
question,  ver.  25).  Cf.  i.  58-72.  The  phrase  is  a 
Hebraism  peculiar  to  Luke. 

Luke  X.  38-42. 
THE  ONE  THING  NEEDFUL. 

38  Now  it  came  to  pass,  as  they  went,  that  he  entered  into 
a  certain  village :    and   a   certain  woman  named  Martha 

39  received  him  into  her  house.     And  she  had  a  sister  called 
Mary,  which  also  sat  at  Jesus'  feet,  and  heard  his  word. 

40  But  Martha  was  cumbered  about  much  serving,  and  came 


204   Westminster  New  Testament 

to  him,  and  said,  Lord,  dost  thou  not  care  that  my  sister 
hath  left  me  to  serve  alone  ?  bid  her  therefore  that  she  help 

41  me.     And  Jesus  answered  and   said   unto  her,  Martha, 
Martha,  thou  art  careful  and  troubled  about  many  things  : 

42  but  one  thing  is  needful :  and  Mary  hath  chosen  that  good 
part,  which  shall  not  be  taken  away  from  her. 


The  story  is  peculiar  to  Luke.  The  description 
of  the  ^two  sisters  is  confirmed  by  the  fuller 
narrative  in  John  xi.  This  visit  must  have  taken 
place  when  Jesus  was  on  His  way  to,  or  from 
Jerusalem,  although  Luke  does  not  mention  the 
fact.  The  connection  with  the  preceding  incident 
may  be  chronological,  as  Bethany  was  on  the  way 
from  Jerusalem  to  Jericho;  or  it  may  be  by  as- 
sociation of  ideas.  Ministry  to  bodily  need  is  not 
the  only  or  the  highest  service  that  one  can  render 
to  another. 

38.  village.  Luke  does  not  seem  to  have  known 
the  name.  Martha.  The  elder  sister  and  the 
mistress  of  the  house.  That  she  was  the  widow  of 
Simon  the  leper  (John  xii.  1,  2)  is  a  mere  guess. 

39.  also.  Having  given  the  welcome,  she  sat 
down  to  hear  His  teaching  at  His  feet  (cf.  Acts 
xxii.  3).     Lord's.    See  on  vii.  13. 

40.  cumbered.  Lit.,  '^  distracted "  ;  thinking 
of  one  thing  to  do,  then  of  another,  came  to  him. 
R.V.,  "came  up  to  him,"  impatiently.  Her  anger 
got  the  better  of  her  respect,  and  she  blames 
Jesus  for  taking  up  her  sister's  attention,  sister. 
Used  in  reproach,  the  reason  why  she  should  have 
helped,     hath  left  me.    And  is  leaving  me  still. 

41.  Martha,  Martha.  The  repetition  expresses 
affection  and  concern  (xxii.  31  ;  Matt.  vii.  21  ; 
Acts  ix.  4).     careful.    R.V.,  "anxious,"  divided  in 


St.  Luke  xi.  1-4  205 

mind  (cf.  Matt.  vi.   25  ;  Luke  xii.   1 1  ;  Phil.  iv.  6). 
troubled.    In  a  bustle,  the  result  of  the  anxiety. 

42.  R.V.  margin,  "  Many  ancient  authorities 
read,  '  but  few  things  are  needful,  or  one.'  "  If 
this  be  the  correct  reading,  the  meaning  is, 
"  Only  a  few  dishes  are  needed,"  or  rather,  "  I  care 
for  only  one  thing,  and  that  Mary  has  chosen  to 
give."  Not  yours  in  bustling  about,  Martha,  but 
hers  is  ^'the  good  part"  of  ministering,  not  to 
My  body's  but  My  spirit's  need  for  sympathy  and 
understanding.  It  will  not  be  taken  from  her  now 
by  My  bidding  her  to  help  you,  and  it  is  of  such 
a  character  that  she  will  never  lose  it.  Probably 
Jesus  found  Mary  ready  to  listen  when  He  spoke 
of  His  coming  Passion — as  the  disciples  were  not. 


Luke  xi.  1-4  (cf.  Matt.  vi.  9-13). 

THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

And  it  came  to  pass,  that,  as  he  was  praying  in  a  certain 
place,  when  he  ceased,  one  of  his  disciples  said  unto  him, 
Lord,  teach  us  to  pray,  as  John  also  taught  his  disciples. 

2  And  he  said  unto  them,  When  ye  pray,  say,  Our  Father 
which  art  in  heaven,  Hallowed  be  thy  name.    Thy  kingdom 

3  come.    Thy  will  be  done,  as  in  heaven,  so  in  earth.     Give 

4  us  day  by  day  our  daily  bread.  And  forgive  us  our  sins  ; 
for  we  also  forgive  every  one  that  is  indebted  to  us.  And 
lead  us  not  into  temptation ;  but  deliver  us  from  evil. 

Luke  gives  no  indication  of  time  or  place,  but 
the  occasion  is  that  Jesus  was  Himself  praying 
(the  Lucan  characteristic  touch).  Matthew  places 
the  Lord's  Prayer  in  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount. 
It  is  not  likely  that  Jesus  would  give  the  prayer 
to  His  disciples  twice,  and  that  Luke  invented  this 


2o6   Westminster  New  Testament 

context  for  it.  Matthew,  disregarding  any  context, 
associates  it  with  Jesus'  warning  against  Pharisaic 
prayer.  Luke  here  follows  the  giving  of  the 
prayer  by  teaching  on  prayer  some  of  which 
Matthew  also  gives  in  another  part  of  the  Sermon 
on  the  Mount.  The  longer  form  in  the  A.V.  is 
due  to  the  tendency  in  MSS.  to  harmonize  the 
parallel  passages  in  the  Synoptics^  and  there  can 
be  no  doubt  that  the  shorter  form  of  the  R.V.  is 
the  authentic  in  Luke. 

2.  Omit  "  Our/'  "  which  art  in  heaven,"  and 
"Thy  will  be  done  as  in  heaven,  so  in  earth," 
inserted  here  from  the  version  of  the  prayer  in 
Matthew.  It  is  more  probable  that  Matthew 
expanded  the  original  form  than  that  Luke 
abridged  it.  Our.  Adapts  the  prayer  for  public 
worship,  which  art  in  heaven.  Expresses  in  a 
characteristically  Jewish  way  the  reverence  for 
God  which  the  address  Father  might  seem  to 
lack.  Thy  v/ill  be  done,  as  in  heaven,  so  in 
earth.  Explains  in  what  way,  by  what  means  the 
Kingdom  can  come.  Father  is  in  O.T.  used  in 
reference  to  the  nation  (Deut.  xxxii.  6  ;  Isa.  Ixiii. 
16;  Jer.  iii.  4,  19,  xxxi.  9;  Mai.  i.  6,  ii.  10),  but 
in  Apocrypha  of  individuals  (Tob.  xiii.  4  ;  Wisd.  ii. 
16,  xiv.  3  ;  Ecclus.  xxiii.  1-4,  Ii.  10).  Jesus  gave 
the  right  to  men  to  reckon  themselves  sons 
(John  i.  12,  iii.  3;  Rom.  viii.  23;  Gal.  iv.  5). 
Hallowed,  '^treated  as  holy"  (Isa.  xxix.  23; 
Ezek.  XX.  41,  xxxviii.  23;  1  Pet.  iii.  15).  name. 
God  as  revealed  and  related  to  man.  kingdom 
may  mean  rule  or  realm.  If  the  former,  the 
petition  is  for  God's  supremacy  on  earth. 

3.  day  by  day.  A.V.  marg.,  "  for  the  day." 
our  daily  bread.    R.V.  marg.,  "  Gr.   our  bread 


St.  Luke  xi.  1-4  207 

for  the  coming  day."  The  Greek  word  of  which 
these  two  renderings  are  given  is  found  here  only, 
and  its  meaning  has  not  yet  been  settled  by 
scholars. 

4>.  sins.  Matthew  has  debts.  This  Luke  himself 
supports  in  what  follows,  but  sins  is  used  in  LXX 
of  Ps.  XXV.  18,  and  would  be  less  ambiguous  for 
Gentiles,  for  we  also.  R.V.,  "for  we  ourselves 
also,"  a  statement  of  fact.  Matthew  has  "  as  we 
also,"  a  standard  of  judgment,  every  one  that 
is  indebted.  Matthew  is  simpler,  and  probably  the 
original  form  was  "our  debtors."  lead  US  not. 
Better  R.V.,  "  bring  us  not."  The  leading  is  not 
here  emphasised.  It  is  God's  dealing  with  man  in 
providence  which  is  referred  to.  "Bring  us  not 
into  the  circumstances  which  will  be  the  occasion  of 
temptation."  While  it  is  natural  for  us  to  desire 
to  avoid  the  trial  (and  Jesus  was  doubtless  think- 
ing of  the  proved  weakness  of  His  disciples, 
of.  xxli.  40,  46),  it  may  be  of  advantage  to  us 
(cf.  Jas.  i.  12).  This  petition  has  often  been  felt 
a  difficulty;  but  it  is  not  God  who  tempts,  or 
makes  the  circumstances  into  which  He  brings  us 
temptations.  That  lies  in  our  moral  weakness. 
The  very  circumstances  may  develop  our  moral 
strength.  Omit  but  deliver  US  from  evil, 
inserted  from  Matt.  vi.  13.  This  too  seems  an 
expansion  of  the  preceding.  If  we  are  brought 
into  circumstances  that  tempt,  let  us  be  delivered 
from  evil  (or  "the  evil  one").  In  Luke  the 
doxology  is  left  out,  and  the  best  authorities  omit 
it  in  Matt.  vi.  13.  It  is  undoubtedly  a  later 
addition  to  fit  the  prayer  for  liturgical  uses. 


2o8   Westminster  New  Testament 


Luke  xi.  5-13  (cf.  Matt.  vii.  7-1 1). 
IMPORTUNITY  IN  PRAYER. 

5  And  he  said  unto  them,  Which  of  you  shall  have  a  friend, 
and  shall  go  unto  him  at  midnight,  and  say  unto  him, 

6  Friend,  lend  me  three  loaves ;  for  a  friend  of  mine  in  his 
journey  is  come  to  me,  and   I  have  nothing  to  set  before 

7  him  ?  And  he  from  within  shall  answer  and  say.  Trouble 
me  not :  the  door  is  now  shut,  and  my  children  are  with 

S  me  in  bed  ;  I  cannot  rise  and  give  thee.  I  say  unto  you, 
Though  he  will  not  rise  and  give  him  because  he  is  his 
friend,  yet  because  of  his  importunity  he  will  rise  and  give 

9  him  as  many  as  he  needeth.  And  I  say  unto  you.  Ask, 
and   it   shall   be    given    you ;    seek,    and    ye  shall   find ; 

10  knock,  and  it  shall  be  opened  unto  you.  For  every  one 
that  asketh  receiveth  ;  and  he  that  seeketh  findeth  ;  and 

1 1  to  him  that  knocketh  it  shall  be  opened.  If  a  son  shall 
ask  bread  of  any  of  you  that  is  a  father,  will  he  give  him 
a  stone  ?  or  if  he  ask  a  fish,  will  he  for  a  fish  give  him  a 

12  serpent?   or  if  he   shall   ask  an  egg,  will  he  offer  him  a 

13  scorpion?  If  ye  then,  being  evil,  know  how  to  give  good 
gifts  unto  your  children :  how  much  more  shall  your 
heavenly  Father  give  the  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  ask 
him? 

Having  begun,  Luke  continues  to  deal  with  the 
subject  of  prayer.  First  he  gives  a  parable  which 
is  not  found  elsewhere,  and  then  he  draws  from 
Q  sayings  of  J  esus  found  also  in  Matthew.  A  similar 
parable  is  that  of  the  Unjust  Judge  (xviii.  1-8), 
in  both  of  which  God's  unwillingness  to  bless  is 
overcome  by  human  importunity.  The  unwilling- 
ness is  only  apparent,  and  we  must  not  press  the 
comparison  of  God  to  a  churlish  neighbour  or  an 


St.  Luke  xi.  5-13  209 

unjust  judge  too  literally.  The  point  of  each 
parable  is  that  continuance  in  prayer  secures  the 
object  desired. 

5.  Jesus  appeals  to  common  experience  to 
illustrate  truth.  The  construction  is  grammatically 
very  irregular,  but  the  sense  is  clear,  midnight. 
It  is  usual  to  travel  at  night  to  avoid  the  heat. 
lend.  As  a  friendly  act,  and  not  as  a  matter  of 
business. 

7.  Trouble  me  not.  Hospitality  is  a  duty  in 
the  East ;  not  the  gift,  but  the  trouble  of  getting 
it,  is  grudged.  Some  scholars  have  found  a  touch 
of  humour  in  the  description  here. 

8.  importunity,  "shamelessness"  (cf.  Ecclus. 
XXV.  22). 

9.  I.  Confirm  what  the  parable  shows.  Ask, 
seek,  knock.    The  climax  of  importunity. 

10.  it  shall  be  opened.  Why  future  after  two 
presents  ?     Matt.  vii.  8  has  present. 

11.  12.  The  R.V.  brings  out  more  clearly  the 
irregular  construction  of  the  original,  and  there  is 
also  some  uncertainty  about  the  reading.  R.V. 
marg.,  "  Some  ancient  authorities  omit  a  loaf 
and  he  give  him  a  stone  ?  or."  ''A  stone  for  a  loaf" 
seems  to  have  been  a  proverbial  expression. 
serpent.  Gr.  "scorpion"  (x.  19;  Rev.  ix.  3). 
When  coiled  up,  it  is  egg-shaped. 

13.  being  evil.  By  nature,  from  origin, 
heavenly.  Literally,  "out  of  heaven."  He  is  in 
heaven,  and  gives  out  of  heaven.  Holy  Spirit. 
Matthew  has  "good  things."  Luke,  who  does  lay 
great  stress  here  and  in  Acts  on  the  Holy  Spirit, 
probably  defined  the  more  general  terai. 


14 


2IO   Westminster  New  Testament 


Luke  xi.  14-26  (  =  Mark  iii.  22-27  =  Matt,  x"-  22-30, 
43-45 ;  cf.  Matt.  ix.  32-34). 

THE  DIVIDED  KINGDOM. 

14  And  he  was  casting  out  a  devil,  and  it  was  dumb.  And  it 
came  to  pass,  when  the  devil  was   gone  out,  the   dumb 

15  spake  ;  and  the  people  wondered.  But  some  of  them  said, 
He  casteth  out  devils  through  Beelzebub  the  chief  of  the 

16  devils.     And  others,  tempting  him,  sought  of  him  a  sign 

17  from  heaven.  But  he,  knowing  their  thoughts,  said  unto 
them,  Every  kingdom  divided  against  itself  is  brought  to 
desolation  ;  and  a  house  divided  against  a  house  falleth. 

18  If  Satan  also  be  divided  against  himself,  how  shall  his 
kingdom  stand  ?  because  ye  say  I  that  cast  out  devils  through 

19  Beelzebub.  And  if  I  by  Beelzebub  cast  out  devils,  by 
whom  do  your  sons  cast  them  out  ?  therefore  shall  they  be 

20  your  judges.  But  if  I  with  the  finger  of  God  cast  out 
devils,  no  doubt  the  kingdom  of  God  is  come  upon  you. 

21  When  a  strong  man  armed  keepeth  his  palace,  his  goods 

22  are  in  peace  :  but  when  a  stronger  than  he  shall  come 
upon  him,  and  overcome  him,  he  taketh  from  him  all  his 

23  armour  wherein  he  trusted,  and  divideth  his  spoils.  He 
that  is  not  with  me  is  against  me  :  and  he  that  gathereth 

24  not  with  me  scattereth.  When  the  unclean  spirit  is  gone 
out  of  a  man,  he  walketh  through  dry  places,  seeking  rest ; 
and  finding  none,  he  saith,  I  will  return  unto  my  house 

25  whence  I  came  out.     And  when  he  cometh,  he  findeth  it 

26  swept  and  garnished.  Then  goeth  he,  and  taketh  to  him 
seven  other  spirits  more  wicked  than  himself;  and  they 
enter  in,  and  dwell  there  :  and  the  last  state  of  that  man 
is  worse  than  the  first. 

Mark  does  not  report  the  cure  that  was  the 
occasion,  but  the  charge  itself  (iii.  22-27).  Matthew 
duplicates  the  incident.  First  he  records  the  cure 
of  a   demoniac,  the  testimony  of  the  multitude, 


St.  Luke  xi.  14-26  211 

"  It  was  never  so  seen  in  Israel/'  and  the  Pharisees' 
charge  (ix.  32-34).  Next  he  gives  a  fuller  version. 
The  demoniac  was  "  blind  and  dumb/'  and  his  cure 
involved  that  he  both  "spake  and  saw."  The 
multitude  in  their  amazement  ask,  "  Is  not  this  the 
Son  of  David  ?  "  The  Pharisees'  charge  is  repeated, 
and  then  follows  Jesus'  teaching  about  the  divided 
kingdom,  city,  or  house  (xii.  22-30).  Matthew 
and  Mark  then  follow  on  with  the  warning  against 
the  sin  that  cannot  be  forgiven,  which  Luke  gives 
in  another  context  (xii.  10).  Luke  combines 
the  Marcan  report  with  material  drawn  from  Q, 
as  does  also  Matthew.  He  adds  from  Q  the 
figurative  saying  about  the  return  of  the  unclean 
spirit,  which  Matthew  places  after  Jesus'  sayings 
about  Jonah  and  Solomon. 

14.  devil  .  .  .  dumb.  So  described  because  the 
demon  was  supposed  to  be  the  cause  of  the  dumb- 
ness. Matthew  has  "blind"  also,  marvelled. 
How  could  exorcism  be  practised  on  one  who  could 
not  hear  (nor  see,  according  to  Matthew)  ? 

15.  some  of  them.  Mark  says  "scribes," 
Matthew  "Pharisees."  For  Gentiles  this  detail 
would  have  no  special  interest.  Beelzebub.  The 
Vulgate  spelling.  Beezehoul  is  the  best  attested 
reading  here  in  the  Greek  MSS.  The  name  is  not 
found  elsewhere  in  O.T.  or  N.T.,  but  the  meaning 
is  "  Lord  of  flies."  This  was  a  deity  at  Ekron.  It 
is  uncertain  whether  the  Jews  regarded  Beelzebub 
as  the  same  as  Satan,  or  ranked  him  as  a  sub- 
ordinate demon. 

16.  This  verse  seems  to  be  out  of  place  here, 
and  Mark  gives  the  same  demand  (viii.  11)  in  the 
section  which  Luke  omits  between  the  feeding  of 
the  five  thousand  and  the  confession  (see  on  viii.  17). 


212   Westminster  New  Testament 

Jesus'    discourse   has    nothing    to    do   with    this 
demand. 

1 7.  a  house  divided  against  a  house  falleth. 
Better  R.V.^  "and  house  falleth  upon  house/'  for 
there  is  no  divided  in  the  Greek.  The  fall  of 
house  on  house  is  one  of  the  results  of  the  desola- 
tion of  a  kingdom.  Luke  does  not,  like  Matthew 
and  Mark,  introduce  a  divided  house  as  a  parallel 
to  a  divided  kingdom.  To  these  two  Matthew  adds 
a  city  as  well. 

18.  The  same  law  applies  to  Satan's  dominion: 
division  spells  disaster.    Because  ye  say.  We 

must  supply,  "  I  say  this." 

19.  This  is  what  is  known  as  an  argumentum  ad 
hominem.  The  Jewish  exorcists  assumed  that  they 
could  cast  out  demons  (cf.  Acts  xix.  13).  Jesus 
does  not  commit  Himself  to  the  reality  of  their 
cures.  But  He  assumes  for  argument  that  this  is 
the  case  ;  what  follows  }  Are  they  also  in  alliance 
with  Satan  ?  If  not,  why  make  such  a  charge 
against  Him .''  Either  they  and  He  are  guilty,  or 
guiltless.  Jesus  does  not,  of  course,  put  His  cures 
on  the  same  level  as  theirs. 

20.  He  now  states  the  difference  between  Him 
and  these  exorcists,  with  the  finger  of  God. 
Matthew  has  "in  the  spirit  of  God."  This  is  a 
"  Hebraistic  anthropomorphism." 

21.  a.  R.V.,  "the."  Satan  is  intended.  For 
the  parable,  cf  Isa.  xlix.  24-26.  palace.  R.V., 
"  court,"  or  homestead. 

22.  a  Stronger,  i.e.  Christ  (cf  Col.  ii.  15).  all 
his  armour.  R.V.,  "his  whole  armour."  Gr. 
"  panoply  "  (cf  Eph.  vi.  11).  spoils,  e.g.  demoniacs 
(cf.  Isa.  liii.  12). 

23.  In  the  conflict  between   Chiist  and  Satan 


St.  Luke  xi.  27,  28  213 

none  can  be  neutral  (see  on  ix.  50).     gathereth. 
A  flock  or  band  rather  than  seed  or  fruit. 

24-26.  This  saying  might  pronounce  judgment 
on  the  Jewish  exorcisms  as  having  only  a  temporary 
effect ;  but  more  probably  it  expresses  figuratively 
the  truth  that  the  abandonment  of  sin  must  be 
followed  by  the  pursuit  of  truth,  if  there  is  to  be 
no  reaction. 

24.  dry.  R.V.,  "waterless."  The  desert  was 
thought  the  haunt  of  demons.  rest.  From 
wandering  (cf  Gen.  viii.  9).  finding  none  may 
go  with  seeking  rest. 

25.  swept   and   garnished.    To   attract  an 

occupant. 

26.  seven.  Cf.  viii.  2.  dwell  there.  The 
evil  state  becomes  permanent  (xiii.  4).  worse 
than  the  first  (Matt,  xxvii.  64  ;  2  Pet.  ii.  20  ; 
Heb.  x.  29  ;  John  v.  14).  Luke  omits  the  im- 
mediate application  to  that  generation. 

Luke  xi.  27,  28. 
THE  TRULY  BLESSED. 

27  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  he  spake  these  things,  a  certain 
woman  of  the  company  Hfted  up  her  voice,  and  said  unto 
him,  Blessed  is  the  womb  that  bare  thee,  and  the   paps 

28  which  thou  hast  sucked.  But  he  said,  Yea,  rather,  blessed 
are  they  that  hear  the  word  of  God,  and  keep  it. 

This  incident,  recorded  by  Luke  alone,  illustrates 
his  interest  in  women  and  motherhood  (see  Intro- 
duction, p.  26).  Any  wonderful  work  or  gracious 
utterance  might  call  forth  such  an  exclamation  as 
the  woman's,  and  there  is  no  reason  why  it  should 
be  placed  in  this   context   rather   than   in  many 


214   Westminster  New  Testament 

another.  Whether  Luke  had  any  knowledge  of 
the  particular  occasion  or  not  does  not  appear. 
Matthew  (xii.  46)  introduces  at  this  point  in  his 
narrative  the  visit  of  Mary  and  Jesus'  brethren, 
which  Luke  places  earlier  (viii.  19-21). 

27.  these  things.  The  reply  of  Jesus  to  the 
charge  (14-23),  or  His  warning  to  His  generation 
(24-26),  if  this  is  the  original  context.  Blessed. 
A  Rabbinic  passage  represents  Israel  as  welcoming 
the  Messiah  with  the  words,  "  Blessed  the  hour  in 
which  the  Messiah  was  created ;  blessed  the  womb 
whence  He  issued ;  blessed  the  generation  that 
sees  Him ;  blessed  is  the  eye  that  is  worthy  to  be- 
hold Him"  (quoted  by  Plummer,  p.  306,  from 
Edersheim).     It  is  a  woman's,  a  mother's  utterance. 

28.  Yea  rather.  Corrects  without  contradicting 
rather  than  confirms  the  utterance  to  which  the 
answer  is  being  given,  blessed  (cf.  viii.  21). 
Spiritual  kinship  is  better  than  physical  kindred. 

word  of  God.  Cf.  on  viii.  11.    keep  it.  Cf.  vi. 

46-59,  and  Jas.  i.  22-25. 


Luke  xi.  29-32  (  =  Mark  viii.  11,  12= Matt.  xii.  38-42). 
THE  SIGN  FROM  HEAVEN  REFUSED. 

29  And  when  the  people  were  gathered  thick  together,  he 
began  to  say,  This  is  an  evil  generation  :  they  seek  a  sign  ; 
and  there  shall  no  sign  be  given  it,  but  the  sign  of  Jonas 

30  the  prophet.     For  as  Jonas  was  a  sign  unto  the  Ninevites, 

31  so  shall  also  the  Son  of  man  be  to  this  generation.  The 
queen  of  the  south  shall  rise  up  in  the  judgment  with  the 
men  of  this  generation,  and  condemn  them  :  for  she  came 
from  the  utmost  parts  of  the  earth  to  hear  the  wisdom  of 
Solomon ;  and,  behold,  a  greater  than  Solomon   is  here. 


St.  Luke  xi.  29-32  215 

32  The  men  of  Nineve  shall  rise  up  in  the  judgment  with  this 
generation,  and  shall  condemn  it :  for  they  repented  at  the 
preaching  of  Jonas  ;  and,  behold,  a  greater  than  Jonas  is 
here. 

Mark  records  the  demand  for  a  sign  by  the 
Pharisees  on  Jesus'  coming  into  the  parts  of 
Dahnanutha,  after  the  feeding  of  the  five  thousand, 
and  Jesus'  refusal  with  deep  emotion  to  grant  any 
such  sign.  Matthew  and  Luke  probably  draw  this 
fuller  utterance  from  Q.  Matthew  gives  the  occasion 
of  the  demand  for  a  sign,  which  Luke  does  not. 
It  looks  as  if  ver.  l6  had  strayed  from  this  place,  as 
the  immediate  context  has  no  reference  to  the 
demand  then  recorded. 

29.  sign.  Some  wonderful  proof  of  Jesus'  claims, 
such  as  His  works  of  healing  were  not  regarded  as 
affording  ;  but  Jesus  would  not  coerce  faith.  Jonah. 
Luke  seems  to  refer  only  to  Jonah's  preaching  of 
repentance  :  Matthew  adds  (ver.  40),  "  for  as  Jonah 
was  three  days  and  three  nights  in  the  belly  of  the 
whale,  so  shall  the  Son  of  Man  be  three  days  and 
three  nights  in  the  heart  of  the  earth,"  but  in 
ver.  41  states  that  ^'the  men  of  Nineveh  repented 
at  the  preaching  of  Jonah,"  thus  agreeing  with 
Luke.  It  is  almost  certain  that  ver.  40  in  Matthew  is 
"a  gloss  which  formed  no  part  of  the  original  saying, 
but  was  introduced,  very  naturally  though  errone- 
ously, by  the  author  of  our  present  Gospel" 
(Sanday,  Bampton  Lectures,  p.  433).  Jesus  did 
not  speak  thus  in  public  about  His  resurrection. 
If  the  saying  were  authentic,  it  would  not  settle 
the  question  whether  the  story  of  Jonah  is  fact,  as 
on  these  questions  Jesus  not  only  used  the  language, 
but  also  shared  the  knowledge  of  His  age. 


2i6   Westminster  New  Testament 

31.  This  seems  to  be  displaced  ;  there  is  no  good 
reason  why  the  reference  to  Jonah  should  thus  be 
broken  in  two  by  this  reference  to  another.  This 
utterance  presents  four  contrasts :  the  Jews  and 
the  queen  of  the  south  (a  heathen)  ;  these  "  wise  " 
men  (scribes  and  Pharisees)  and  this  woman ;  the 
distance  she  had  to  come  ("the  ends  of  the  earth  "), 
and  the  presence  of  the  teacher  in  their  midst 
("  here  ")  ;  Jesus,  the  "  greater/'  and  Solomon. 
south.  Sheba  was  in  South  Arabia,  at  the  limits  of 
the  world  as  then  known  (cf.  Ps.  ii.  8). 

32.  the.  Omitted  in  Greek,  at.  Lit./- in  accord- 
ance with  "  ;  they  made  their  aim  what  the  preacher 
sought  (cf.  2  Tim.  ii.  26).  preaching".  The  message 
preached.  For  the  whole  utterance,  cf.  the  woes  in 
X.  12-16. 


Luke  xi.  33-36  (cf.  viii.  16 ;  Mark  iv.  2i ;  Matt.  v.  15, 
vi.  22,  23). 

DARKNESS  AND  LIGHT. 

33  No  man,  when  he  hath  lighted  a  candle,  putteth  it  in  a 
secret  place,  neither  under  a  bushel,  but  on  a  candlestick, 

34  that  they  which  come  in  may  see  the  light.  The  light  of 
the  body  is  the  eye  :  therefore  when  thine  eye  is  single, 
thy  whole  body  also  is  full  of  hght ;  but  when  thine  eye  is 

35  evil,  thy  body  also  is  full  of  darkness.     Take  heed  there- 

36  fore  that  the  light  which  is  in  thee  be  not  darkness.  If 
thy  v/hole  body  therefore  be  full  of  light,  having  no  part 
dark,  the  whole  shall  be  full  of  light,  as  when  the  bright 
shining  of  a  candle  doth  give  thee  light. 

Mark  has  a  question,  corresponding  in  substance 
to  ver.  33,  just  after  the  Parable  of  the  Sower,  and 
followed    by  the  saying  of  the  revelation   of  the 


St.  Luke  xi.  33-36  217 

secret.  Luke  has  already  given  this  saying  in  the 
same  context  as  Mark  in  viii.  l6.  Matthew  gives 
the  saying  in  connection  with  the  description  of  the 
disciples  as  the  light  of  the  world  in  v.  14.  The 
sayings  in  vers.  34-36  are  drawn  from  Q,  and  are 
given  by  Matthew  in  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount 
(vi.  22,  23) ;  but  there  are  very  striking  differences 
in  the  reproduction  by  the  two  Evangelists  of  the 
original  utterance. 

33.  candle.  R.V.,"lamp."  secret  place.  R.V., 
"cellar."  a  bushel.  R.V.,  "the  bushel."  Most 
households  would  have  one  such  measure,  equal  to 
about  a  peck,     candlestick.    R. v.,  "stand." 

34.  light.  R.  v., "  lamp"  ;  same  word  as  in  ver.  33. 
single.  Sound,  healthy,  evil.  Diseased.  The  eye 
does  not  give  the  light,  but  sees  the  light ;  and  the 
body  moves  in  the  light  when  the  eye  sees  clearly, 
but  in  darkness,  when  the  eye  is  dim  ;  so  the  in- 
ward vision  of  the  truth  is  sufficient  for  guidance 
of  the  life  without  any  such  outM^ard  signs  as  are 
demanded.  The  light  of  truth  shone  in  Jonah  and 
Solomon,  and  the  men  of  Nineveh  and  the  queen 
of  the  south  had  the  inward  vision  to  receive  the 
light. 

35.  An  appeal  to  the  hearers  to  examine  them- 
selves whether  this  inward  vision  of  a  clear  con- 
science was  theirs  or  had  been  distorted  by 
prejudice  or  unbelief. 

36.  This  tautological  statement  is  not  like  the 
clear-cut  sayings  of  Jesus,  but  the  Evangelist's 
paraphrase.  Let  the  conscience  be  thoroughly  en- 
lightened, it  will  afford  the  sure  guidance  needed 
without  any  other  sign. 


2i8   Westminster  New  Testament 


Luke  xi.  37-41  (cf.  Matt,  xxiii.  25,  26). 
TABLE-TALK. 

37  And  as  he  spake,  a  certain  Pharisee  besought  him  to  dine 

38  with  him  :  and  he  went  in,  and  sat  down  to  meat.  And 
when  the  Pharisee  saw  it,  he  marvelled  that  he  had  not 

39  first  washed  before  dinner.  And  the  Lord  said  unto  him, 
Now  do  ye  Pharisees  make  clean  the  outside  of  the  cup 
and  the  platter  ;  but  your  inward  part  is  full  of  ravening 

40  and   wickedness.     Ye   fools,  did  not  he  that  made  that 

41  which  is  without  make  that  which  is  within  also?  But 
rather  give  alms  of  such  things  as  ye  have ;  and,  behold, 
all  things  are  clean  unto  you. 

Ver.  39  corresponds  to  one  of  the  woes  in 
Matthew's  report  of  the  final  denunciation  of  the 
scribes  and  Pharisees,  and  probably  comes  from  Q  ; 
but  Luke  is  alone  in  recording  the  occasion  of  the 
saying,  and  in  the  practical  application  of  the 
warning  in  enforcing  almsgiving.  It  is  not  im- 
probable that  either  the  first  Evangelist  collected 
in  his  record  all  the  sayings  of  Jesus  against  the 
Pharisees,  or  that  Jesus  Himself  repeated  the 
charges  He  had  to  make  against  them. 

37.  dine.  Gr.  "breakfast."  Cf.  vii.  36  for  a 
similar  invitation  from  a  Pharisee. 

38.  marvelled.  Jesus  seems  to  have  divined 
his  thoughts,  washed.  Lit., '^baptized."  This  need 
not  mean  here  "  total  immersion."  For  ceremonial 
cleansing  the  washing  of  the  hands  was  enough. 
The  Pharisees  attached  great  importance  to  the 
removal  of  all  possible  defilement  before  taking 
food.  Cf.  Mark  vii.  3,  4.  Luke  does  not  record 
the   similar  complaint  made  against  the  disciples 


St.  Luke  xi.  42-54  219 

and  Jesus'  defence,  in  which  He  virtually  set  aside 
all  the  laws  of  ceremonial  purification. 

39-  Now.  "at  the  present  time/'  or  "in  this 
case/'  or  "  as  a  matter  of  fact."  inward  part.  The 
heart  or  soul.  In  Matthew  the  outside  of  the  cup 
is  contrasted  with  the  inside,  which  is  filled  with 
meat  and  drink  wrongly  got  and  wrongly  used, 
ravening.  R.V.,  "extortion."  The  Pharisees 
forced  gifts  from  others,  and  indulged  themselves. 

40.  fools.  Cf.  xii.  20  and  Rom.  ii.  20;  1  Cor. 
XV.  36;  2  Cor.  xi.  l6,  19,  xii.  6,  11  ;  Eph.  v.  17. 
did  not.  Has  not  the  world  and  the  soul  one 
Maker ;  why  so  careful  about  bodily  cleanness,  so 
careless  of  the  soul's  purity  } 

41.  such  things  as  ye  have.  Better  R.V., 
"  these  things  which  are  within."  Luke  reverts  to 
the  original  form  of  the  saying  :  Give  of  the  contents 
of  cup  and  platter  in  charity,  and  that  will  be  the 
better  cleansing  of  both. 


Luke  xi.  42-54  (cf.  Matt,  xxiii.  1-36). 
WOES  ON  PHARISEES  AND  SCRIBES. 

42  But  woe  unto  you,  Pharisees  !  for  ye  tithe  mint  and  rue 
and  all  manner  of  herbs,  and  pass  over  judgment  and  the 
love  of  God  :  these  ought  ye  to  have  done,  and  not  to  leave 

43  the  other  undone.  Woe  unto  you,  Pharisees  !  for  ye  love 
the  uppermost  seats  in  the  synagogues,  and  greetings  in  the 

44  markets.  Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites  ! 
for  ye  are  as  graves  which  appear  not,  and  the  men  that 

45  walk  over  them  are  not  aware  of  them.  Then  answered 
one  of  the  lawyers,  and  said  unto  him,  Master,  thus  saying 

46  thou  reproachest  us  also.  And  he  said,  Woe  unto  you  also, 
ye  lawyers  !  for  ye  lade  men  with  burdens  grievous  to  be 
borne,  and  ye  yourselves  touch  not  the  burdens  with  one 


220   Westminster  New  Testament 

47  of  your  fingers.     Woe  unto  you  !  for  ye  build  the  sepulchres 

48  of  the  prophets,  and  your  fathers  killed  them.  Truly  ye 
bear  witness  that  ye  allow  the  deeds  of  your  fathers :  for 
they  indeed  killed   them,  and  ye  build   their  sepulchres. 

49  Therefore  also  said  the  wisdom  of  God,  I  will  send  them 
prophets  and  apostles,  and  some  of  them  they  shall  slay 

50  and  persecute :  that  the  blood  of  all  the  prophets, 
which  was  shed  from  the  foundation  of  the  world,  may  be 

51  required  of  this  generation  ;  from  the  blood  of  Abel  unto 
the  blood  of  Zacharias,  which  perished  between  the  altar 
and  the  temple  :  verily  I  say  unto  you,  it  shall  be  required 

52  of  this  generation.  Woe  unto  you,  lawyers !  for  ye  have 
taken  away  the  key  of  knowledge  :  ye  entered  not  in  your- 

53  selves,  and  them  that  were  entering  in  ye  hindered.  And 
as  he  said  these  things  unto  them,  the  scribes  and  the 
Pharisees  began  to  urge  him  vehemently,  and  to  provoke 

54  him  to  speak  of  many  things  :  laying  wait  for  him,  and 
seeking  to  catch  something  out  of  his  mouth,  that  they 
might  accuse  him. 

The  woes  in  this  passage  are  not  likely  to  have 
been  spoken  on  the  same  occasion  as  the  previous 
utterance.  That  was  appropriate  to  the  circum- 
stances. These  would  surely  have  been  out  of 
place  when  Jesus  was  enjoying  a  Pharisee's 
hospitality.  They  clearly  belong  to  the  later  period 
of  open  hostility.  It  is  the  association  of  ideas  that 
has  given  this  passage  its  place  here.  It  is  taken 
from  Q. 

42.  But.  In  contrast  to  the  charity  commended 
there  is  a  scrupulous  tithing,  instead  of  righteousness 
to  men  and  love  to  God.  rue  is  exempted  in  the 
Talmud  from  the  tithe.  The  Pharisees  went  beyond 
the  requirement  of  the  Law.  pasS  over.  Lit., "  pass 
by"  (cf.  xviii.  37  ;  Acts  xvi.  8);  that  is,  "neglect" 
(cf.  XV.  29).    judgment.  A  Hebraism,  "the  dis- 


St.  Luke  xi.  42-54  221 

tinction  between  right  and  wrong."  to  have  done. 
Jesus  does  not  forbid  the  tithing  even  if  it  go 
beyond  the  Law,  only  the  substitution  of  it  for 
moral  duties. 

4)3.  love.  "  highly  value "  (John  xii.  43).  the 
uppermost  seats.  R.  V.,  "  the  chief  seats  "  ;  on  a 
bench  round  the  ark,  and  facing  the  congregation. 
greetings.  R.V.,  ^^salutations";  which  probably 
would  express  profound  respect  for  the  supposed 
sanctity  of  the  Pharisee. 

44.  graves.  R.V.,  "tombs."  As  contact  in- 
volved defilement  (Num.  xix.  l6),  it  was  usual  to 
whitewash  the  tombs.  But  if  this  was  not  done, 
defilement  might  be  unwittingly  contracted.  Thus 
the  Pharisees,  believed  to  be  good  men,  might 
morally  defile  others.  In  Matt,  xxiii.  27  the 
contrast  is  between  the  whitewash  outside  and  the 
defilement  within. 

45.  lawyers.  Seeonvii.  so.  While  most  of  the 
scribes  were  Pharisees,  not  all  the  Pharisees  were 
scribes,  reproachest.  Rather  "  insultest "  (xviii, 
32 ;  Acts  xiv.  5  ;  1  Thess.  ii.  2).  us  also.  As 
exponents  of  the  Law  which  the  Pharisees  so 
scrupulously  observe  according  to  our  guidance. 

46.  lade  V/ith  burdens.  Literally,  "burden 
with  burdens/'  or  "  lade  with  loads."  The  scribal 
interpretation  of  the  Law  made  its  demands  more 
minute,  rigid,  and  oppressive,  and  increased  the 
difficulty  of  keeping  it.  tOUCh.  Either :  you  do  not 
help  others  to  bear  these  burdens,  or  you  evade 
the  bearing  of  them  yourselves.  The  casuistry  of 
the  scribes  devised  many  ways  of  escaping  the 
obligations  of  the  Law. 

47.  48.  The  fuller  version  of  Matt,  xxiii.  30  brings 
out  the  meaning.     Ostentatiously  expressing  their 


222   Westminster  New  Testament 

reverence  for  the  prophets  m  looking  after  their 
tombs,  they  show  by  their  neglect  of  the  prophetic 
teaching,  in  the  spirit  of  their  interpretation  of  the 
Law,  that  they  are  spiritually  as  well  as  physically 
the  descendants  of  those  who  persecuted  the  pro- 
phets (cf.  Acts  vii.  52),  and  would  have  approved 
the  action  of  their  fathers. 

49.  Therefore.  Because  of  your  action,  the  woe 
upon  you  is  confirmed  by  the  wisdom  of  God. 
Matthew  gives  the  words  that  follow  as  Christ's 
own  (xxiii.  34).  It  is  not  likely  Jesus  would 
describe  Himself,  nor  is  there  any  evidence 
that  others  described  Him  as  the  ivisdom  of  God 
(cf.  1  Cor.  i.  24,  30).  Some  scholars  hold  that  this 
is  a  quotation  from  some  lost  book,  and  to  this 
there  is  no  decisive  objection.  Less  likely  is  it 
that  Jesus  used  this  personification  for  a  paraphrase 
of  "  God  in  His  wisdom,"  as  Plummer  suggests 
(p.  313).  apostles.  Messengers  here  not  in  the 
technical  use  for  the  Twelve. 

50.  Sharing  the  spirit,  this  generation  deserves 
the  punishment  of  the  persecutors  of  God's 
messengers,  foundation  of  the  world.  Cf.  Heb. 
iv.  3,  ix.  26 ;  Rev.  xiii.  8,  xvii.  8.  this  genera- 
tion.   The  destruction  of  Jerusalem  is  meant. 

51.  Abel  (Gen.  iv.  10),  Zacharias  (2  Chron.  xxiv. 
22).  The  first  and  last  murders  mentioned  in  the 
Jewish  canon.  Zachariah  was  the  son  of  Jehoiada 
and  not  of  Barachiah  as  in  Matt,  xxiii.  S5.  This  is 
a  slip,  as  the  prophet  was  not  murdered,  at  least 
there  is  no  evidence  for  the  fact,  temple.  R.V., 
"  sanctuary  "  ;  Gr.  "  house,"  the  Holy  Place. 

52.  the  key  of  knowledge.  Not  "  knowledge 
as  a  key,"  but  "the  means  of  knowing."  Both 
by  their  interpretation  of  the  Law,  which  made  its 


St.  Luke  xii.  1-12  223 

observance  practically  impossible,  and  by  their 
neglect  of  the  people  due  to  their  contempt  for 
them,  the  scribes  hindered  the  religious  life,  were 
entering,  "  were  always  trying  to  enter "  (cf. 
Matt.  xi.  28  ;  Rom.  vii.  15). 

53.  from  thence.  In  Luke's  setting  of  the 
utterance  this  would  mean  the  Pharisee's  house. 
urge  him  vehemently.  R. V.,  "  press  upon  Him 
vehemently/'  or  marg.,  "  set  themselves  vehemently 
against  Him."  This  may  be  taken  literally,  "  they 
thronged  Him "  ;  or  figuratively,  "  they  took  a 
grudge  to  Him."  provoke.  Lit.,  "to  dictate 
what  is  to  be  learned  by  heart  and  recited  "  ;  here, 
"  to  ply  with  questions." 

54.  laying  wait.  Cf.  Acts  xxiii.  21.  catch 
something  (cf.  Ps.  x.  9).  R.V.  omits  "that  they 
might  accuse  Him,"  an  early  corruption  of  the  text. 


Luke  xii.  1-12  (cf.  Mark  iii.  28-30,  viii.  15,  xiii.  9-11 ; 
Matt.  X.  17,  19,  20,  26-33,  xii.  3i-33»  xvi.  6). 

FEAR  AND  FAITH. 

In  the  mean  time,  when  there  were  gathered  together  an 
innumerable  multitude  of  people,  insomuch  that  they 
trode  one  upon  another,  he  began  to  say  unto  his  disciples 
first  of  all,  Beware  ye  of  the  leaven  of  the  Pharisees,  which 

2  is  hypocrisy.     For  there  is  nothing  covered,  that  shall  not 

3  be  revealed  ;  neither  hid,  that  shall  not  be  known.  There- 
fore whatsoever  ye  have  spoken  in  darkness  shall  be  heard 
in  the  light ;  and  that  which  ye  have  spoken  in  the  ear  in 

4  closets  shall  be  proclaimed  upon  the  housetops.  And  I 
say  unto  you,  my  friends,  Be  not  afraid  of  them  that  kill  th 

5  body,  and  after  that  have  no  more  that  they  can  do.  But 
I  will  forewarn  you  whom  ye  shall  fear  :  Fear  him,  which 


224   Westminster  New  Testament 

after  he  hath  killed  hath  power  to  cast  into  hell ;  yea,  I  say 

6  unto  you,  Fear  him.     Are  not  five  sparrows  sold  for  two 
farthings,  and  not  one  of  them  is  forgotten  before  God? 

7  But  even  the  very  hairs  of  your  head  are  all  numbered. 
Fear  not  therefore  :  ye  are  of  more  value  than  many  sparrows. 

8  Also  I  say  unto  you,  Whosoever  shall  confess  me  before 
men,   him  shall  the  Son  of  man  also  confess  before  the 

9  angels  of  God  :  but  he  that  denieth  me  before  men  shall  be 

10  denied  before  the  angels  of  God.  And  whosoever  shall 
speak  a  word  against  the  Son  of  man,  it  shall  be  forgiven 
him :  but  unto   him   that   blasphemeth   against  the   Holy 

1 1  Ghost  it  shall  not  be  forgiven.  And  when  they  bring  you 
unto  the  synagogues,  and  unto  magistrates,  and  powers, 
take  ye  no  thought  how  or  what  thing  ye  shall  answer,  or 

12  what  ye  shall  say  :  for  the  Holy  Ghost  shall  teach  you  in 
the  same  hour  what  ye  ought  to  say. 

The  discourse  in  this  chapter,  while  containing 
portions  peculiar  to  Luke,  is  for  the  most  part 
derived  from  Q,  and  the  contexts  are  found  dis- 
tributed in  Matthew  in  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount 
(v.-vii.),  the  charge  to  the  Twelve  (x.  5-42),  and  the 
Prophecy  of  the  Last  Days  (xxiv.  4-51).  A  few  of 
the  utterances  are  also  found  in  Mark's  Gospel. 
Luke  assumes  that  the  teaching  was  addressed  to 
the  multitude,  when  Jesus  had  got  away  from  the 
Pharisee's  house ;  but  there  can  be  no  doubt  that 
either  the  Evangelist  or  his  source  combines  sayings 
spoken  on  many  different  occasions.  This  first 
section  (1-12)  is  mostly  taken  from  Q,  but  has  some 
parallels  in  Mark.  It  is  an  exhortation  to  disciples 
to  confess  their  Master,  and  an  encouragement  to 
those  who  for  their  fidelity  suffer. 

1.  the  mean  time.  While  the  Pharisees  pressed 
on  Him.  an  innumerable  multitude.  R.V.,"the 
many  thousands  (Gr.  *  the  myriads  ')  of  the  multi- 


St.  Luke  xii.  1-12  225 

tude  "  ;  hyperbole  (cf.  Acts  xxi.  20).  first  of  all. 
The  disciples  are  addressed  first,  and  then  Jesus 
turns  to  the  crowd.  It  is  not  likely  that  the  phrase 
should  go  with  Beware,  as  in  R.V.  marg.  That 
is  not  the  disciples'  first  duty,  leaven.  Usually  a 
figure  of  evil  influence  (1  Cor.  v.  6 ;  Gal.  v.  Q),  and 
to  this  use  the  parable  in  xiii.  20,  21  is  an  exception, 
hypocrisy.  Lit.,  ^'^  play-acting/'  a  vain  semblance 
which  will  soon  be  exposed  (ver.  2). 

S.  Therefore.  The  warning  against  hypocrisy, 
the  revealing  of  things  covered,  is  an  encouragement 
to  faithful  confession  by  the  disciples.  Another 
meaning  is  possible.  The  exposure  of  the  hypo- 
crisy of  the  Pharisees  will  be  due  to  the  public 
diffusion  of  the  disciples'  message,  closets.  R.V., 
"  inner  chambers"  ;  the  "store  chambers,"  well  with- 
in the  buildings,  as  the  outer  walls  in  the  East  could 
be  easily  dug  through  (cf.  Matt.  vi.  6,  xxiv.  26). 
housetops.  Where  proclamations  are  still  some- 
times made  (Isa.  xv.  3  ;  Jer.  xix.  13). 

4.  my  friends.  This  softens  the  warning.  Jesus 
does  not  suspect  or  distrust  the  disciples  as  hypo- 
crites when  He  warns  against  the  peril  of  persecu- 
tion. 

5.  Fear  him.  Not  "fear  in  order  to  shun,"  and 
therefore  not  the  devil ;  but  God,  who  alone  hath 
power  to  punish  sin.  Satan  is  to  be  resisted, 
not  feared  (Jas.  iv.  7 ;  1  Pet.  v.  9).  hell.  Here 
rightly  renders  Gr.  "  Gehenna,"  the  transliteration 
of  Ge.  Hinnom,  "Valley  of  Hinnom,"  into  which, 
after  the  abolition  of  the  Moloch  worship  practised 
there  (2  Kings  xxiii.  10),  all  kinds  of  refuse,  includ- 
ing the  corpses  of  criminals,  were  cast  to  be  burned 
by  fires  that  did  not  go  out.  It  was  the  name 
given  to  the  place   of  punishment  in  Hades,  the 

15 


326   Westminster  New  Testament 

unseen  world,  the  abode  of  the  dead,  in  some 
passages  in  N.T.  also  wrongly  translated  *^hell." 

6.  farthings.  This  is  not  the  same  coin  as  Matt. 
V.  26 ;  Mark  xii.  42 ;  but  four  times  its  value,  and 
a  tenth  to  a  sixteenth  of  a  denarius,  which  was 
worth  about  two  shillings,  one.  Though  they  are 
so  cheap,  before  God.  R.V.,  "in  the  sight  of 
God."     God,  as  it  were,  notices  every  one  of  them. 

7.  Fear  not.    "cease  to  fear." 

8.  Fear  of  men  leads  to  hypocrisy ;  fear  of  God 
will  lead  to  confession  of  Christ,  confess.  The 
disciples,  Jesus'  Messiahship  ;  He,  their  discipleship. 
the  angels  of  God.  Matthew  has  "  My  Father." 

9.  denieth;   Cf  xxii.  34,  61. 

10.  Matthew  (xii.  31,  32)  and  Mark  (iii.  28,  29) 
connect  this  saying  with  the  charge  of  alliance  with 
Satan,  and  this  is  probably  the  historical  setting. 

blasphemeth.  Cf.  Lev.  xxiv.  16.  shall  not  be 
forgiven.  It  is  not  a  particular  sin  of  word  or  deed 
that  is  meant,  but  a  state  of  such  antagonism  to 
goodness  and  grace,  as  excludes  penitence  and  faith 
and  therefore  also  pardon.  It  is  the  same  as  "  the 
sin  unto  death"  (1  John  v.  I6). 

11-12.  The  connection  of  thought  is:  Do  not 
fear  that  you  will  blaspheme  the  Holy  Ghost  in 
time  of  persecution,  for  God's  Holy  Spirit  will  be 
with  you  to  give  you  utterance. 

11.  Unto  the  synagogues.  R.V.,  "before  the 
synagogues,"  which  held  courts  and  could  excom- 
municate (vi,  22 ;  John  ix.  22,  xii.  42,  xvi.  2),  and 
sentence  to  scourging  (Matt.  x.  17)  by  the  "  attend- 
ant"  (see  on  iv.  20).  magistrates.  R.V.,"  rulers." 
powers.  R.V.,  "authorities";  the  Sanhedrin  or 
Gentile  courts,  take  ye  no  thought.  R.V.,  "be 
not  anxious  "  (cf.  Matt.  vi.  25).    how.   The  manner. 


St.  Luke  xii.  13-21  227 

what.  The   matter,     answer.    Lit.,   "apologise" 
(cf.  xxi.  14). 
12.  in  the  same  hour  (cf.  Ex.  iv.  12;  2  Tim. 

iv.  17).  The  Holy  Spirit  is  the  Paraclete,  one 
called  to  the  help  of  another,  to  plead  for  him  or 
to  succour  him  (cf.  John  xiv.  26,  xv.  26). 

Luke  xii.  13-21. 
THE  RICH  FOOL. 

13  And  one  of  the  company  said  unto  him,  Master,  speak  to 

14  my  brother,  that  he  divide  the  inheritance  with  me.  And 
he  said  unto  him,  Man,  who  made  me  a  judge  or  a  divider 

15  over  you?  And  he  said  unto  them.  Take  heed,  and 
beware  of  covetousness ;  for  a  man's  life  consisteth  not  in 

16  the  abundance  of  the  things  which  he  possesseth.  And 
he  spake  a  parable  unto  them,  saying,  The  ground  of  a 

17  certain  rich  man  brought  forth  plentifully  :  and  he  thought 
within  himself,  saying,  What  shall  I  do,  because  I  have  no 

18  room  where  to  bestow  my  fruits?  And  he  said.  This  will 
I  do  :  I  will  pull  down  my  barns,  and  build  greater ;   and 

19  there  will  I  bestow  all  my  fruits  and  my  goods.  And  I 
will  say  to  my  soul,  Soul,  thou  hast  much  goods  laid  up  for 
many  years  ;  take   thine   ease,  eat,  drink,  and  be  merry. 

20  But  God  said  unto  him,  Thou  fool,  this  night  thy  soul  shall 
be  required   of  thee ;  then  whose  shall  those  things  be, 

21  which  thou  hast  provided  ?  So  is  he  that  layeth  up  treasure 
for  himself,  and  is  not  rich  toward  God. 

This  passage  is  found  in  Luke  only.  The  appeal 
to  Jesus  to  settle  a  quarrel  about  property  is  the 
occasion  for  a  warning  against  covetousness,  which 
is  enforced  by  the  Parable  of  the  Rich  Fool.  Even 
if  the  man  who  made  the  appeal  had  been  wronged, 
Jesus  censured  the  anxiety  about  earthl}^  goods 
which   suggested  such  a  use    of   His  authority  as 


228   Westminster  New  Testament 

a  teacher.  He  steadily  refused  to  interfere  in 
secular  affairs.  His  interest,  purpose,  and  authority 
were  in  another  realm — God's  rule  in  the  soul  of  man. 
IS.  speak.  R.V.,  "bid."  He  settles  the  rights 
of  his  own  case,  and  seeks  only  the  authority  of 
Jesus  to  confirm  his  own  decision. 

14.  man.  The  address  expresses  displeasure 
(cf.  xxii.  58-60  :  Rom.  ii.  1,  ix.  20).  made.  Ap- 
pointed (Ex.  ii.  14).  Jesus'  attitude  to  worldly  affairs 
is  expressed  in  John  xviii.  36. 

15.  covetousness.  R.V.,  "all  covetousness "  ; 
rather,  "every  form  of  covetousness"  (cf  iv.  13 
and  Matt.  xii.  31).  Jesus  detects  the  motive  of  the 
request,  but  addresses  not  the  petitioner  alone,  but 
the  whole  multitude,  for,  etc.  Gr.  "  for  not  in  a 
man's  abundance  consisteth  his  life  from  the  things 
which  he  possesseth."  Even  though  a  man  has 
plenty,  it  is  not  in  what  he  owns  that  his  ti-ue  life 
lies.  That  is  the  probable  meaning.  Less  prob- 
able is  the  interpretation :  Though  a  man  be  rich, 
yet  his  life  is  not  one  of  his  possessions — that  is,  he 
has  no  control  over  it.  Yet  the  parable  does  illus- 
trate this  particular  point.  The  truth  taught  is 
that  the  worth  of  a  man's  life  does  not  depend 
on  his  wealth,  or  that  wealth  cannot  prolong  life. 

16.  ground.  The  source  of  the  wealth  was  un- 
objectionable, brought  forth  plentifully.  The 
Greek  word  is  used  by  medical  writers. 

18.  my.  This  pronoun  is  repeated  again  and 
again,  showing  the  self-sufficiency  of  wealth  (cf. 
1  Sam.  XXV.  11). 

19.  soul.  The  seat  of  the  feelings  of  pleasure  or 
pain,  many  years.  Cf.  Jas.  iv.  13-17.  eat, 
drink.   Cf.  Ecclus.  xi.  19. 

20.  fool.    See  on  xi.  40.   this  night.    In  contrast 


St.  Luke  xii.  22-34         229 

to  many  years,  thy  SOUl,  etc.  "  do  they  require  thy 
soul"  (A.V.  marg.).  It  is  not  necessary  to  con- 
jecture who  "  they  "  are.  This  is  an  impersonal 
plural,  cf.  ver.  48. 

21.  layeth  up  treasure.  Cf.  Matt.  vi.  19; 
2  Cor.  xii.  14.  toward.  In  relation  to  God;  rich 
in  what  God  is  pleased  with. 


Luke  xii.  22-34  (cf«  Matt.  vi.  21,  25-33). 
ANXIETY  FORBIDDEN. 

22  And  he  said  unto  his  disciples,  Therefore  I  say  unto  you. 
Take  no  thought  for  your  life,  what  ye  shall  eat  ;  neither 

23  for  the  body,  what  ye  shall  put  on.     The  life  is  more  than 

24  meat,  and  the  body  is  more  than  raiment.  Consider  the 
ravens  ;  for  they  neither  sow  nor  reap  ;  which  neither 
have  storehouse  nor  barn  ;  and  God  feedeth  them  :  how 

25  much  more  are  ye  better  than  the  fowls  ?  And  which  of 
you  with  taking  thought  can  add  to  his  stature  one  cubit  ? 

26  If  ye  then  be  not  able  to  do  that  thing  which  is  least,  why 

27  take  ye  thought  for  the  rest  ?  Consider  the  lilies  how  they 
grow  :  they  toil  not,  they  spin  not ;  and  yet  I  say  unto  you, 
that  Solomon  in  all  his  glory  was  not  arrayed  like  one  of 

28  these.  If  then  God  so  clothe  the  grass,  which  is  to-day 
in  the  field,  and  to-morrow  is  cast  into  the  oven  ;  how  much 

29  more  will  he  clothe  you,  O  ye  of  little  faith  ?  And  seek 
not  ye  what  ye  shall  eat,  or  what  ye  shall  drink,  neither 

30  be  ye  of  doubtful  mind.  For  all  these  things  do  the  nations 
of  the  world  seek  after  :  and  your  Father  knoweth  that  ye 

31  have  need  of  these  things.  But  rather  seek  ye  the  kingdom 
of  God  ;  and   all   these  things  shall  be  added  unto   you. 

32  Fear  not,  little  flock  ;  for  it  is  your  Father's  good  pleasure 

33  to  give  you  the  kingdom.  Sell  that  ye  have,  and  give 
alms ;  provide  yourselves  bags  which  wax  not  old,  a 
treasure  in  the  heavens  that  faileth  not,  where  no  thief 


230   Westminster  New  Testament 

34  approacheth,  neither   moth  corrupteth.     For  where  your 
treasure  is,  there  will  your  heart  be  also. 

From  the  multitude  Jesus  turns  to  His  disciples, 
and  delivers  to  them  a  discourse^  forbidding  anxiety 
(22-34),  calling  to  watchfulness  (35-40),  and  de- 
scribing wise  and  foolish  stewardship  (4 1-48).  This 
first  section  on  anxiety  is  from  Q,  and  is  part  of 
the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  in  Matthew.  Whether 
spoken  at  the  same  time  or  not,  it  fitly  follows  the 
warning  against  covetousness  (cf.  Heb.  xiii.  5). 

22.  therefore.  In  this  context  refers  back  to 
ver.  15.  take  no  thought.  R.V.,  "be  not 
anxious "  (cf.  1  Cor.  vii.  32  ;  Phil.  iv.  6).  life. 
R.V.  marg.,  "or  soul."  The  same  Greek  word 
means  both.     The  word  is  a  link  with  vers.  19,  20. 

23.  is  more  than  meat  (R.V.,  "  the  food  "). 
The  soul  is  something  greater  than  the  food,  as 
the  means  is  less  than  the  end.  He  who  gives 
soul  and  body  can  and  will  give  food  and  raiment. 
The  greater  includes  the  less. 

24.  ravens.  Matthew  has  "the  birds  of  the 
heaven  "  (cf.  Job  xxxviii.  41  ;  Ps.  cxlvii.  9).  The 
name  includes  the  whole  crow  tribe.  SOW,  reap, 
storehouse,  barn.  All  points  of  contact  with 
vers.  16-18.  how  much  more  are  ye  better. 
R.V.,  "  of  how  much  more  value  are  ye  "  as  children 
than  they  as  creatures  only. 

25.  stature,  "age"  (cf.  John  ix.  21-23;  Heb. 
xi.  11)  is  the  meaning  here  of  the  Greek  word,  for 
(1)  a  cubit  would  be  an  enormous  increase  of 
height ;  and  (2)  there  is  more  anxiety  about  pro- 
longing life  than  increasing  stature. 

26.  This  verse  has  no  equivalent  in  Matthew, 
rest.  Food,  clothing,  etc. 


St.  Luke  xii.  35-40  231 

27.  lilies.  Song  ii.   l6,  iv.  5,  vi.  2,  3.  In  v.   13 

they  are  compared  to  human  lips ;  a  red  flower  is 

clearly  meant.  But  the  word  may  be  used  for 
flowers  generally. 

29.  seek  not.  "  cease  to  seek."  neither  be  ye 

of  doubtful  mind.  A.V.  marg.,  "  live  not  in  careful 
suspense."  Do  not  be  tossed  about  by  care  like  a  ship 
atsea.   But  the  word  may  mean  also  "be  not  uplifted." 

30.  the  nations  of  the  world.  An  Aramaic 
expression  common  in  Rabbinic  writings. 

31.  But.    Stronger  R. v.,  "  Howbeit." 

32.  There  is  no  parallel  to  this  verse  in  Matthew. 
Whether  this  is  the  original  context  or  not  we  do 
not  know.  Those  who  seek  will  find  the  Kingdom, 
and  the  other  things  they  have  not  sought. 

33.  The  greater  part  of  this  verse  (to  faileth  not) 
is  peculiar  to  Luke.  Instead  of  anxiety  to  get  and 
keep^  let  there  be  generosity  in  giving.  This  is  a 
principle  of  the  Kingdom^  not  a  hard-and-fast  rule. 
a  treasure  in  the  heavens.  In  contrast  to  ver.  20. 
moth.  Garments  stored  up  must  be  referred  to  here. 

34  Cf.  1  Cor.  vii.  32-34.  He  who  has  his 
possessions  devoted  to  the  service  of  the  Kingdom 
will  also  have  his  affections  there. 

Luke  xii.  35-40  (cf.  Mark  xiii.  34-37 ;  Matt.  xxiv. 

43,  44). 

THE  CALL  TO  WATCHFULNESS. 

35  Let  your  loins  be  girded  about,  and  your  lights  burning  ; 

36  and  ye  yourselves  like  unto  men  that  wait  for  their  lord, 
when  he  will  return  from  the  wedding  ;  that  when  he 
Cometh  and  knocketh,  they  may  open  unto  him  immedi- 

37  ately.  Blessed  are  those  servants,  whom  the  lord  when  he 
Cometh  shall  find  watching  :  verily  I  say  unto  you,  that  he 


232    Westminster  New  Testament 

shall  gird  himself,  and  make  them  to  sit  down  to  meat,  and 

38  will  come  forth  and  serve  them.  And  if  he  shall  come  in 
the  second  watch,  or  come  in  the  third  watch,  and   find 

39  them  so,  blessed  are  those  servants.  And  this  know,  that 
if  the  goodman  of  the  house  had  known  what  hour  the 
thief  would  come,  he  would  have  watched,  and  not  have 

40  suffered  his  house  to  be  broken  through.  Be  ye  therefore 
ready  also  :  for  the  Son  of  man  cometh  at  an  hour  when  ye 
think  not. 

In  this  passage  vers.  35-38  are  peculiar  to  Luke. 
There  are  sayings  similar  to  these  in  vers.  39,  40  in 
Matthew  and  also  Mark,  but  in  both  of  these  Evan- 
gelists these  are  found  in  Jesus'  discourse  regai^ding 
the  last  things,  at  the  end  of  His  ministry. 

S5.  loins  girded  about.  The  long  robes,  which 
were  a  hindrance  to  movement,  were  drawn  up  and 
allowed  to  hang  over  the  girdle,  so  that  the  lower 
limbs  were  free  to  move.  The  phrase  is  a  symbol 
for  readiness  to  serve,  labour,  or  travel,  lights 
(R.V.,  "  lamps  ")  burning.  This  seems  to  be  taken 
from  the  Parable  of  the  Ten  Virgins  (Matt.  xxv.  1). 

36.  wait.  Better  R.V.,  ^Hooking  for."  It  is 
eager  desire  that  is  meant,  wedding.  R.V., 
"marriage-feast";  another  apparent  reference  to 
the  parable  in  Matt.  xxv.  1.  return.  This  rendering 
is  uncertain  ;  possibly  the  word  means  "  depart." 
Here  the  master  is  not  himself  the  bridegroom. 

37.  gird  himself.  Cf.  John  xiii.  4> ;  Rev.  iii.  20, 
21,  and  xix.  9-  The  contrast  is  presented  in  xvii. 
7-10. 

38.  watch.  Either  the  two  last  of  the  three 
Jewish  watches  into  which  the  time  from  sunset 
to  dawn  was  divided  (Judg.  vii.  19),  or  the  two 
middle  watches  of  the  four  Roman  (Mark  xiii.  35  ; 
Acts  xii.  4). 


St.  Luke  xii.  41-48  233 

39.  The  metaphor  is  changed  suddenly ;  not  the 
master's  return  is  to  be  welcomed,  but  the  thief  s 
attempt  hindered.  The  point  of  comparison  in 
each  case  is  readiness  for  an  emergency  (cf. 
1  Thess.  V.  2  ;  2  Pet.  iii.  10;  Rev.  iii.  3,  xvi.  15). 
suffered.  R.V.,  "  left  "  ;  suggests  that  he  was  away 
from  home,  broken  through.  Gr.  "digged 
through/'  the  walls  being  of  mud. 

40.  It  is  the  Second  Advent  which  is  here  re- 
ferred to.     See  the  notes  on  chap.  xxi. 


Luke  xii.  41-48  (cf.  Matt.  xxiv.  45-51). 
STEWARDSHIP  WISE  AND  FOOLISH. 

41  Then  Peter  said  unto  him,  Lord,  speakest  thou  this  parable 

42  unto  us,  or  even  to  all  ?  And  the  Lord  said,  Who  then  is 
that  faithful  and  wise  steward,  whom  his  lord  shall  make 
ruler  over   his   household,  to  give  them  their   portion   of 

43  meat  in  due  season  ?     Blessed  is  that  servant,  whom  his 

44  lord  when  he  cometh  shall  find  so  doing.  Of  a  truth  I  say 
unto  you,  that  he  will  make  him  ruler  over  all  that  he  hath. 

45  But  and  if  that  servant  say  in  his  heart.  My  lord  delayeth 
his  coming ;  and  shall  begin  to  beat  the  menservants  and 

46  maidens,  and  to  eat  and  drink,  and  to  be  drunken ;  the 
lord  of  that  servant  will  come  in  a  day  when  he  looketh 
not  for  him,  and  at  an  hour  when  he  is  not  aware,  and  will 
cut  him  in  sunder,  and  will  appoint  him  his  portion  with 

47  the  unbelievers.  And  that  servant,  which  knew  his  lord's 
will,  and  prepared  not  himself,  neither  did  according  to  his 

48  will,  shall  be  beaten  with  many  stripes.  But  he  that  knew 
not,  and  did  commit  things  worthy  of  stripes,  shall  be 
beaten  with  few  stripes.  For  unto  whomsoever  much  is 
given,  of  him  shall  be  much  required  :  and  to  whom  men 
have  committed  much,  of  him  they  will  ask  the  more. 


234   Westminster  New  Testament 

Matthew  has  the  parallel  to  vers.  42-46.  The 
saying  about  few  and  many  stripes  is  peculiar  to 
Luke.  He  also  alone  records  Peter's  impulsive 
interruption  (of.  ix.  33)  as  the  occasion  for  the 
saying. 

41.  parable.  Figurative  saying.  The  reference 
is  probably  to  the  surprising  promise  of  ver.  37. 
US  all.  Peter  is  anxious  to  know  if  this  is  a  peculiar 
privilege  (cf.  John  xxi.  21,  22). 

42.  Who  then.  Jesus  promises  no  privilege, 
but  declares  the  conditions  which  must  be  fulfilled 
to  secure  any.  faithful.  Trustworthy  (cf.  Num. 
xii.  7 ;  1  Sam.  xxii.  14).  wise.  Sensible  (cf  xvi.  8  ; 
Gen.  xli.  39).  Steward.  A  slave  left  in  charge. 
portion  of  meat.  R.V.,  "food" — that  is,  rations, 
given  out  on  Roman  estates  daily,  weekly,  or 
monthly. 

44.  of  a  truth.    Matthew  has  Amen. 

45.  But  and  if.  Better  R.V.,  "  but  if"  delay- 
eth.  Cf  2  Pet.  iii.  3,  4.  begin.  The  lord's  coming 
puts  a  stop  to  it.  maidens.  Better  R.V.,  "  maid- 
servants," female  slaves,  to  be  drunkenJ  To  get 
drunk,  probably  getting  the  means  of  his  self-indul- 
gence by  holding  back  the  rations  of  the  other 
slaves. 

46.  cut  him  in  sunder.  Lit,  his  punishment 
is  this  violent  death  (cf.  2.  Sam.  xii.  31  ;  1  Chron. 
XX.  3  ;  Amos  i.  3  ;  Rev.  xi.  31).  portion'.  That  is, 
the  punishment  he  receives,  unbelievers.  Misses 
the  point ;  R.V.,  "  unfaithful  "  (servants)  is  better  ; 
Matthew  has  "hypocrites."  On  the  Lord's  return 
the  servant  intended  to  pretend  that  he  had  been 
faithful. 

47.  that  servant.  Not  the  steward,  but  a  less 
offender,    knew!  Cf.  Rom.  ii.  14.    beaten  with 


St.  Luke  xii.  49-53  235 

manyi  Stripes  is  not  in  the  Gr..  but  must  be  under- 
stood. 

48.  knew  not.  Ignorance,  due  to  indifference, 
and  therefore  culpable.  There  are  degrees  of 
ability,  opportunity,  responsibility,  and  culpability 
— this  is  the  lesson. 


Luke  xii.  49-53  (cf.  Matt.  x.  34,  36). 
NOT  PEACE,  BUT  DIVISION. 

49  I  am  come  to  send  fire  on  the  earth  ;  and  what  will  I,  if  it 

50  be  already  kindled  ?  But  I  have  a  baptism  to  be  baptized 
with  ;  and  how  am  I  straitened  till  it  be  accomplished  ! 

51  Suppose  ye  that  I  am  come  to  give  peace  on  earth?     I  tell 

52  you,  Nay ;  but  rather  division  :  for  from  henceforth  there 
shall  be  five  in  one  house  divided,  three  against  two,  and 

53  two  against  three.  The  father  shall  be  divided  against  the 
son,  and  the  son  against  the  father ;  the  mother  against 
the  daughter,  and  the  daughter  against  the  mother ;  the 
mother-in-law  against  her  daughter-in-law,  and  the  daughter- 
in-law  against  her  mother-in-law. 

The  sayings  about  fire  and  baptism  are  peculiar 
to  Luke.  Matthew  and  Luke  have  both  drawn 
from  Q  the  saying  about  family  division,  but 
Matthew  gives  it  in  the  discourse  connected  with 
the  Mission  of  the  Twelve. 

49.  fire.  Of  strife,  as  the  following  verses  more 
fully  declare ;  or  of  a  holy  zeal,  which  as  its  result 
will  bring  enmity,  as  iii.  I6  suggests,  and  what 
will  I,  etc.  The  meaning  of  this  rendering  of  a 
very  difficult  saying  is  not  clear.  Probably  it 
means  :  "  What  more  have  I  to  desire,  if  it  be 
already  kindled  "  (Plummer).  Jesus  was  eager  to 
see  his  work  tell. 


236   Westminster  New  Testament 

50.  baptism  (cf.  Ps.  xlii.  7,  Ixix.  2,  3,  14,  15, 
cxxiv.  4f,  5,  cxliv.  7  ;  Isa.  xliii.  2).  The  reference  is 
to  the  Passion,  an  experience  in  which  Jesus  thinks 
Himself  ^Mmmersed."  This  metaphor  is  used  in 
Mark  x.  38.  straitened.  A.V.  margin,  "  pained  " 
(cf.  Phil.  i.  23).  He  had  ever  the  foretaste  of  the 
Passion  (cf.  John  xii.  27),  and  was  eager  for  the 
fulfilment  of  His  Father's  will. 

51.  peace.  That  was  what  the  Jews  expected 
from  the  Messiah,    rather.    "  no  other  thing  than." 

52.  Matthew  has  not  this  part  of  the  saying 
(cf  Mic.  vii.  6).  five.  The  mother  and  mother- 
in-law  in  ver.  53  are  the  same  person,  three.  Son, 
daughter,  and  daughter-in-law.  twO.  Father  and 
mother  (or  mother-in-law). 

53.  Matthew  adds  here  the  saying :  "  A  man's  foes 
shall  be  they  of  his  own  household." 


Luke  xii.  54-59  (cf.  Matt.  xvi.  23,  v.  25,  26). 

THE  SIGNS  OF  THE  END  AND  THE  DUTY 
OF  RECONCILING  THE  ADVERSARY. 

54  And  he  said  also  to  the  people,  When  ye  see  a  cloud  rise 
out  of  the  west,  straightway  ye  say,  There  cometh  a  shower  ; 

55  and  so  it  is.     And  when  ye  see  the  south  wind  blow,  ye 

56  say,  There  will  be  heat ;  and  it  cometh  to  pass.  Ye 
hypocrites,  ye  can  discern  the  face  of  the  sky  and  of  the 

57  earth  ;  but  how  is  it  that  ye  do  not  discern  this  time  ?  Yea, 
and  why  even  of  yourselves  judge  ye  not  what  is  right  ? 

58  When  thou  goest  with  thine  adversary  to  the  magistrate,  as 
thou  art  in  the  way,  give  diligence  that  thou  mayest  be 
delivered  from  him  ;  lest  he  hale  thee  to  the  judge,  and  the 
judge  deliver  thee  to  the  officer,  and  the  officer  cast  thee 

59  into  prison.  I  tell  thee,  thou  shalt  not  depart  thence,  till 
thou  hast  paid  the  very  last  mite. 


St.  Luke  xii.  54-59  237 

Luke  brings  together  two  sayings  probably 
spoken  on  different  occasions.  If  Matt.  xvi.  2,  3, 
the  parallel  to  vers.  54>-57,  be  unauthentic,  as  it 
probably  is,  being  "  omitted  by  some  of  the  most 
ancient  and  other  important  authorities "  (R.V. 
marg.),  then  the  saying  is  peculiar  to  Luke.  The 
second  saying,  vers.  58,  59,  is  taken  by  Matthew 
as  well  as  Luke  from  Q,  but  Matthew  gives  it  as 
part  of  Jesus'  teaching  on  the  duty  of  reconciliation 
in  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  The  context  here 
seems  more  suitable.  Timely  repentance  may  avert 
the  hastening  judgment. 

54.  also.  Marks  the  close  of  this  discourse. 
people.  R.V.,  ^^  multitudes."  Jesus  turns  to  them 
from  the  disciples,  west.  The  Mediterranean 
Sea,  from  which  rain  would  generally  come  (cf. 
1  Kings  xviii.  44).  straightway.  ^^With  no 
hesitation."    shower.  A  heavy  downpour. 

55.  heat.  R.V.,  "scorching  heat"  or  (marg.) 
''hot  wind"  (cf.  Jas.  i.  11). 

56.  hypocrites.  They  were  playing  a  part  in 
professing  not  to  understand  the  important  events 
of  John's  and  Jesus'  ministry,  discern.  R.V., 
"interpret,"  Gr.  "prove."  Test  your  knowledge 
of  the  signs  of  the  weather. 

57.  even  of  yourselves.  From  your  own  con- 
science, without  any  outward  help ;  or  "  also  of 
yourselves,"  judge  the  signs  of  the  times  as  of  the 
weather. 

58.  delivered  from  him.  R.V.,  "  quit  of  him," 
i.e.  "come  to  terms  with  him."  officer.  Gr. 
"  exactor."  At  Athens  the  exactors  recorded  the  fine 
imposed  by  the  magistrate,  but  it  was  not  their 
duty  to  enforce  payment. 

59.  thee.    An   individual   appeal,     mite.    Half 


238   Westminster  New  Testament 

of  the  coin  mentioned  in  ver.  6.  It  would  be 
straining  the  sense  of  the  parable  to  find  in  it 
the  solution  of  the  problem  whether  the  future 
punishment  is  eternal  or  not. 


Luke  xiii.  1-5. 

WARNINGS  OF  JUDGMENT, 

There  were  present  at  that  season  some  that  told  him  of 
the  Galilseans,  whose  blood  Pilate  had  mingled  with  their 

2  sacrifices.  And  Jesus  answering  said  unto  them,  Suppose 
ye  that  these  Galilaeans  were  sinners  above  all  the  Galilseans, 

3  because  they  suffered  such  things  ?    I  tell  you,  Nay :  but, 

4  except  ye  repent,  ye  shall  all  likewise  perish.  Or  those 
eighteen,  upon  whom  the  tower  in  Siloam  fell,  and  slew 
them,  think  ye  that  they  were  sinners  above  all  men  that 

5  dwelt  in  Jerusalem  ?  I  tell  you.  Nay  :  but,  except  ye  repent, 
ye  shall  all  likewise  perish. 

There  are  here  three  passages  peculiar  to  Luke  ; 
the  call  to  penitence  based  on  the  report  of  the 
slaughter  of  the  Galilaeans  (1-5),  the  Parable  of 
the  Barren  Fig  Tree  (6-9),  and  the  Sabbath  cure 
(10-17).  The  reference  to  time  is  altogether 
indefinite. 

1.  There  is  no  other  record  of  such  a  massacre, 
but  both  the  character  of  the  Galilaeans,  and  the 
character  of  Pilate,  make  altogether  credible  such 
a  collision  between  their  violence  and  his  severity. 
Herod  may  have  resented  this  treatment  of  his 
subjects  (see  on  xxiii.  12).  were  present.  Better, 
^^ there  came"   (cf.    Acts   x.  21;    Matt.  xxvi.  50; 

John  xi.  28).     at  that  (R.V.,  "very")  season. 

At  the  moment  He  spoke.     The  informants  might 
think  the  fact  one  of  the  signs  of  the  time,    blood. 


St.  Luke  xiii.  6-9  239 

They  were  slaughtered  in  the  court  of  the  temple 
as  the  beasts  for  their  sacrifices  were  being 
slain. 

2.  Jesus'  answer  shows  that  He  did  not  regard 
this  statement  as  an  appeal  to  denounce  Pilate 
with  a  view  to  get  Him  into  difficulties,  but  as  an 
illustration  of  the  common  belief  that  exceptional 
suffering  indicated  exceptional  guilt. 

3.  Just  anticipates  a  general  judgment  on  the 
nation,  and  urges  timely  repentance. 

4.  We  have  no  other  reference  to  this  event. 
The  well-known  tower  in  Siloam  (the  site  of  which 
has  been  identified)  was  probably  surrounded  by 
houses,  involved  in  its  ruin.  sinners.  R.V., 
"offenders,"  Gr.  "debtors,"  as  in  vii.  41,  xi.  4 
(cf.  xii.  58).  It  has  been  conjectured  that  these 
men  were  working  at  the  aqueducts  for  which 
Pilate  was  paying  out  of  the  temple  treasury ; 
these  men  were  debtors  to  it  for  their  wages.  But 
probably  Jesus  intends  only  the  wider  sense  that 
all  men  are  God's  debtors. 


Luke  xiii.  6-9  (cf.  Mark  xi.  12-14,  20,  21 ;  Matt.  xxi. 
18-20). 

THE  BARREN  FIG  TREE. 

6  He  spake  also  this  parable  ;  A  certain  man  had  a  fig  tree 
planted  in  his  vineyard  ;  and   he   came   and   sought  fruit 

7  thereon,  and  found  none.  Then  said  he  unto  the  dresser 
of  his  vineyard,  Behold,  these  three  years  I  come  seeking 
fruit  on  this  fig  tree,  and  find  none  :  cut  it  down  ;    why 

8  cumbereth  it  the  ground?  And  he  answering  said  unto 
him,  Lord,  let  it  alone  this  year  also,  till  I  shall  dig  about 

9  it,  and  dung  it :  and  if  it  bear  fruit,  well  :  and  if  not, 
then  after  that  thou  shalt  cut  it  down. 


240   Westminster  New  Testament 

Luke  does  not  record  the  fact  of  the  cursing  of 
the  barren  fig  tree  found  in  Matthew  and  Mark  ;  but 
there  is  no  good  ground  for  supposing  that  either 
parable  has  been  changed  to  fact,  or  fact  to  parable. 
If  Luke  knew  the  fact,  he  did  not  think  it  needful 
to  include  it  as  well  as  the  parable,  as  both  con- 
veyed the  same  lesson  (cf.  Hos.  ix.  10 ;  Joel  i.  7). 

6.  fig  tree  .  .  .  vineyard.  Not  an  uncommon 
practice  (cf.  Song  ii.  13). 

7.  three  years.  This  is  no  allusion  to  the 
length  of  our  Lord's  ministry,  but  to  the  time 
within  which  a  fig  tree  reaches  its  maturity,  and 
shows  whether  it  is  to  be  fruitful  or  not.  why 
cumbereth  it  the  ground  ?  R. V.,  "  why  doth  it 
also  cumber  the  ground  ?  "  Fruitless  itself,  it  also 
makes  useless  the  soil. 

9.  R.V.  has  "thenceforth"  instead  of  "then 
after  that,"  and  connects  the  phrase  with  bear 
fruit.  If  the  tree  begins  and  keeps  on  bearing 
fruit,  it  will  not  be  cut  down.  This  is  the  better 
rendering,  shalt  CUt  it  down.  Better,  "thou 
shalt  have  it  cut  down."  Thou  shalt  give  the 
order,  and  I  shall  cut  it  down.  The  gardener  will 
wait  for  the  master's  command.  While  the  warning 
of  the  doom  of  fruitlessness  applies  to  the  individual 
soul,  it  is  especially  addressed  to  the  Jewish  nation, 
for  which  God  had  done  so  much,  and  which  had 
made  Him  so  poor  a  return. 

Luke  xiii.  10-17. 
A  SABBATH  CURE. 

10  And  he  was  teaching  in   one   of  the   synagogues  on   the 

11  sabbath.     And,  behold,  there  was  a  woman  which  had  a 
spirit  of  infirmity  eighteen  years,  and  was  bowed  together, 


St.  Luke  xiii.  10-17  241 

12  and  could  in  no  wise  lift  up  herself.  And  when  Jesus  saw 
her,  he  called  her  to  him,  and  said  unto  her,  Woman,  thou 

13  art  loosed  from  thine  infirmity.  And  he  laid  his  hands  on 
her  :  and  immediately  she  was  made  straight,  and  glorified 

14  God.  And  the  ruler  of  the  synagogue  answered  with  in- 
dignation, because  that  Jesus  had  healed  on  the  sabbath 
day,  and  said  unto  the  people.  There  are  six  days  in  which 
men  ought  to  work  :  in  them  therefore  come  and  be  healed, 

1 5  and  not  on  the  sabbath  day.  The  Lord  then  answered  him, 
and  said,  Thou  hypocrite,  doth  not  each  one  of  you  on  the 
sabbath  loose  his  ox  or  his  ass  from  the  stall,  and  lead  him 

16  away  to  watering  ?  And  ought  not  this  woman,  being  a 
daughter  of  Abraham,  whom  Satan  hath  bound,  lo,  these 
eighteen  years,  be  loosed  from  this  bond  on  the  sabbath  day  ? 

17  And  when  he  had  said  these  things,  all  his  adversaries  were 
ashamed  :  and  all  the  people  rejoiced  for  all  the  glorious 
things  that  were  done  by  him. 

Although  not  recorded  in  either  of  the  other 
EvangeHsts,  the  story  carries  with  it  the  proofs  of 
historic  truth. 

10.  synagogues.  This  must  have  been  in  a 
district  where  hostility  to  Jesus  was  not  yet  pro- 
nounced, as  it  had  become  in  Galilee,  or  the 
incident  must  belong  to  a  veiy  early  stage  of  the 
ministry  there. 

11.  a  spirit  of  infirmity.  A  spirit  that  caused 
infirmity  (cf.  xi.  14).  The  Evangelist  regards  this 
as  a  case  of  demonic  possession,  although  no  signs 
of  madness  are  mentioned.  He  may  have  drawn 
an  inference  from  Jesus'  phrase,  "  whom  Satan  hath 
bound"  (ver.  l6),  in  which  Jesus  probably  attri- 
buted the  disease  to  some  sin  committed  by  the 
woman. 

12.  13.  Jesus  does  not  deal  with  her  as  with 
a  demoniac,  nor  is  heir   cure   similarly  described. 

i6 


242   Westminster  New  Testament 

It  appears  an  altogether  unasked-for  cure,  made 
straight  (Acts  xv.  16  ;  Heb.  xii.  12).  A  tenii  used 
by  physicians. 

14.  An  indirect  censure  of  the  action  of  Jesus  in 
an  address  to  the  people. 

15.  Thou  hypocrite.  R.V.,  "ye  hypocrites." 
The  "  play-acting  "  was  twofold  in  its  manner  and 
motive.  The  people  were  addressed,  but  the 
rebuke  was  intended  for  Jesus.  Zeal  for  the 
Sabbath  concealed  enmity  to  Him.  watering". 
The  Talmud  allows  water  to  be  drawn  for  the 
animalj  but  not  to  be  carried  to  it  in  a  vessel. 
For  other  arguments  of  Jesus  against  the  charge  of 
Sabbath-breaking,  see  vi.  3,  5,  9 ;  Mark  ii.  21,  28  ; 
John  V.  17. 

16.  A  double  contrast:  an  animal — a  daughter 
of  Abraham  ;  bound  by  man — bound  by  Satan. 

17.  adversaries.  The  ruler  was  not  the  only 
enemy  of  Jesus  present,  were  ashamed.  Better 
R.V.,  "were  put  to  shame"  (cf.  2  Cor.  vii.  14, 
ix.  4 ;  1  Pet.  iii.  16).  rejoiced.  There  was  a 
popular  revolt  against  the  authorities ;  the  people 
were  more  responsive  than  scribes  and  Pharisees 
to  the  appeal  of  Jesus'  ministry. 


Luke  xiii.  18-21  (  =  Mark  ix.  30-32 ;  Matt.  xiii.  31-33)- 
THE  MUSTARD  SEED  AND  THE  LEAVEN. 

18  Then  said  he,  Unto  what  is  the  kingdom  of  God   like? 

19  and  whereunto  shall  I  resemble  it?  It  is  like  a  grain  of 
mustard  seed,  which  a  man  took,  and  cast  into  his  garden  ; 
and  it  grew,  and  waxed  a  great  tree  ;  and  the  fowls  of  the 

20  air  lodged  in   the   branches  of  it.      And  again  he  said, 

21  Whereunto  shall  I  liken  the  kingdom  of  God?    It  is  like 


St.  Luke  xiii.  18-21  243 

leaven,  which  a  woman  took  and  hid  in  three  measures  of 
meal,  till  the  whole  was  leavened. 

The  Parable  of  the  Mustard  Seed  is  given  by 
Mark  and  Matthew  as  well,  the  Parable  of  the 
Leaven  by  Matthew.  Matthew  gives  both  parables 
in  the  collection  of  parables  about  the  Kingdom. 
As  companions  the  two  parables  illustrate  com- 
plementary aspects  of  the  growth  of  the  Kingdom — 
the  one  its  expansive  power,  the  other  its  pervasive 
influence. 

18.  then.  R. v., '^  therefore."  Luke  intends  to 
connect  the  parables  with  the  previous  incident, 
or  if  that  be  set  aside  as  an  interruption,  with  the 
teaching  Jesus  was  giving  in  the  synagogue  (ver.  11). 
That  does  not,  however,  settle  the  question  of  the 
original  context.  With  the  double  question  com- 
pare Isa.  xl.  18. 

19-  mustard  seed.  "  Small  as  a  mustard  seed  " 
was  a  Jewish  proverb.  It  is  either  the  Salvadora 
Persica.  which  may  reach  a  height  of  twenty-four 
feet,  or  the  Sinapis  nigra,  which  is  sometimes  twelve 
feet,  that  is  here  meant,  his  garden.  R.V.,  "his 
own  garden."  It  is  Israel,  God's  peculiar  pos- 
session, in  which  the  Kingdom  is  planted, 
fowls.  R. v.,  "birds."  Cf.  Ezek.  xxxi.  6;  Dan.  iv. 
9-18). 

21.  three.  There  is  no  hidden  significance  in 
the  number  three,  measures.  G\\"saton."  See 
R.V.  margin  on  Matt.  xiii.  33 :  "  The  word  in 
Greek  denotes  the  Hebrew  seah,  a  measure  con- 
taining nearly  a  peck  and  a  half." 


244   Westminster  New  Testament 


(J5)  The  Second  Section  (Luke  xiii.  22- 
xvii.  10). 

Luke  xiii.  22-30  (cf.  Matt.  vii.  13,  14,  22,  23,  viii.  11,  12, 
xix.  30,  XX.  16,  XXV.  ia-12;  Mark  x.  31). 

WARNING  AGAINST  FALSE  HOPES 
(OR  VAIN  CONFIDENCE). 

22  And  he  went  through  the  cities  and  villages,  teaching,  and 

23  journeying  toward  Jerusalem.  Then  said  one  unto  him, 
Lord,  are  there  few  that   be   saved  ?    And  he  said  unto 

24  them,  Strive  to  enter  in  at  the  strait  gate  :  for  many,  I  say 
unto  you,  will  seek  to  enter  in,  and  shall   not  be  able. 

25  When  once  the  master  of  the  house  is  risen  up,  and  hath 
shut  to  the  door,  and  ye  begin  to  stand  without,  and  to 
knock  at  the  door,  saying,  Lord,  Lord,  open  unto  us ;  and 
he  shall  answer  and  say  unto  you,  I  know  you  not  whence 

26  ye  are  :  then  shall  ye  begin  to  say,  We  have  eaten  and 
drunk  in  thy  presence,  and  thou  hast  taught  in  our  streets. 

27  But  he  shall  say,  I  tell  you,  I  know  you  not  whence  ye  are  ; 

28  depart  from  me,  all  ye  workers  of  iniquity.  There  shall  be 
weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth,  when  ye  shall  see  Abraham, 
and  Isaac,  and  Jacob,  and  all  the  prophets,  in  the  kingdom 

29  of  God,  and  you  yourselves  thrust  out.  And  they  shall 
come  from  the  east,  and  from  the  west,  and  from  the  north, 
and  from  the  south,  and  shall  sit  down  in  the  kingdom  of 

30  God.  And,  behold,  there  are  last  which  shall  be  first, 
and  there  are  first  which  shall  be  last. 

In  this  passage  Luke  combines  a  number  of 
•  sayings,  probably  from  Q^  found  in  different  con- 
texts in  Matthew.  Ver.  30  is  also  given  in  Mark 
(x.  31).  Luke  gives  the  indication  of  time,  but  it 
is  doubtful  whether  he  intends  to  suggest  a  second 
journey  up    to  Jerusalem  in  accordance  with  the 


St.  Luke  xiii.  22-30  245 

Fourth  Gospel,  or  is  thinking  of  one  (the  last) 
journey  throughout  this  whole  document  (see 
Introduction/p.  23).  He  alone  records  the  question 
to  which  Jesus'  saying  about  the  strait  gate  is  the 
answer. 

23.  one.  Whether  a  disciple,  a  friend,  or  foe  we 
are  not  told.  Did  he  expect  an  assurance  that 
not  only  Israel,  but  all  Israel,  would  be  saved  ?  be 
saved.  "  are  being  saved  "  (cf.  Acts  ii.  47  ;  1  Cor. 
i.  18  ;  2  Cor.  ii.  15).  them.  Jesus  answers  the 
question  by  a  warning  to  the  multitude. 

24.  Strive.  Lit.,  "  agonise,"  "  strain  every  nerve." 
at  the  strait  gate.  R.V.,  "by  the  narrow  door" 
(Matt.  vii.  13,  R.V.,  "  by  the  nan'ow  gate"),  will 
seek.  After  the  door  is  shut ;  till  then  all  who 
strive  will  get  in.  "Seek"  means  less  serious 
purpose  and  less  severe  effort  than  "  strive."  able, 
"have  strength  to,"  i.e.  force  open  the  closed 
door. 

25.  When  once.  Better  R.V.  margin,  "able, 
when  once,"  connecting  the  verse  immediately  with 
the  preceding  clause.  In  the  Parable  of  the  Virgins 
(Matt.  XXV.  10,  12)  we  have  also  the  closed  door, 
but  what  follows  has  its  parallel  in  Matt.  vii.  22, 
23.    knock.  Force  having  failed,  entreaty  is  used. 

26.  A  knowledge  of  Christ  in  the  flesh  is  ad- 
vanced as  a  plea,  but  in  vain. 

27.  depart,  etc.  A  quotation  from  Ps.  vi.  8. 

28.  thrust  out.    "  being  thrust  out." 

29.  Isa.  xlv.  6  and  xlix.  12  are  here  combined 
(cf.  Ps.  cvii.  3 ;  1  Chron.  ix.  24).  Matthew  gives 
this  saying  in  connection  with  the  faith  of  the 
Roman  centurion,  and  makes  more  definite  the 
exclusion  of  the  Jews  and  the  admission  of  the 
Gentiles  to  the  Kingdom,  a  reversal  of  all  Jewish 


246   Westminster  New  Testament 

expectations,  sit  down.  Gr.  "recline"  at  a 
banquet,  the  Jewish  conception  of  the  Messianic 
Kingdom  (xiv.  15 ;  Rev.  xix.  9). 

30.  A  saying  several  times  used  by  Jesus  (Matt. 
xix.  30  =  Mark  x.  31  ;  Matt.  xx.  16).  This  is  a 
warning  that  present  appearances  may  deceive, 
that  those  who  now  seem  sure  of  the  Kingdom 
may  miss  it,  and  it  may  be  found  of  those  who 
now  appear  to  have  no  hope  of  it. 

Luke  xiii.  31-35  (cf.  Matt,  xxiii.  37-39). 
THE  LAMENT  OVER  JERUSALEM. 

31  The  same  day  there  came  certain  of  the  Pharisees,  saying 
unto  him,  Get  thee  out,  and  depart  hence  :  for  Herod  will 

32  kill  thee.  And  he  said  unto  them,  Go  ye,  and  tell  that 
fox,  Behold,  I  cast  out  devils,  and  I  do  cures  to  day  and 

33  to  morrow,  and  the  third  day  I  shall  be  perfected.  Never- 
theless I  must  walk  to  day,  and  to  morrow,  and  the  day 
following :  for  it  cannot  be  that  a  prophet  perish  out  of 

34  Jerusalem.  O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  which  killest  the 
prophets,  and  stonest  them  that  are  sent  unto  thee ;  how 
often  would  I  have  gathered  thy  children  together,  as  a 
hen  doth  gather  her  brood  under  her  wings,  and  ye  would 

35  not !  Behold,  your  house  is  left  unto  you  desolate :  and 
verily  I  say  unto  you.  Ye  shall  not  see  me,  until  the  time 
come  when  ye  shall  say,  Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord. 

Luke  alone  records  the  warning  of  the  Pharisees 
about  Herod's  intentions,  and  Jesus'  contemptuous 
answer.  The  mention  of  Jerusalem  (ver.  23)  leads 
Luke  to  insert  here  Jesus'  lament,  derived  from 
Q,  which  Matthew  gives  in  a  more  appropriate 
situation  at  the  close  of  Jesus'  discourse  against 
the  Pharisees. 


St.  Luke  xiii.  31-35         247 

31.  Pharisees.  As  Jesus'  enemies  their  motive 
was  not  to  save  Him,  but  probably  to  get  Him  to 
Jerusalem  into  the  power  of  the  Sanhedrin,  or  to 
awaken  the  fears  of  His  followers.  But  Jesus* 
answer  shows  that  they  had  not  invented  the  threat, 
for  Jesus  replies  to  Herod,  will  kill  thee.  R.V., 
"  would  fain  kill  thee  "  ;  desires  or  intends  to  kill. 

32.  fox.  As  the  feminine  is  usual,  its  use  here 
may  not  mean  deeper  contempt  than  the  masculine 
would  (but  masculine  is  found  in  Song  ii.  15). 
Craftiness,  and  not  violence,  is  suggested  by  the 
word.  Jesus  assumes  that  Herod  used  a  vain 
threat  to  get  rid  of  Him,  not  having  the  courage 
really  to  intend  His  death.  Herod  courted  popu- 
larity ;  and  John's  execution  had  already  aroused 
popular  resentment,  which  he  would  have  no  desire 
to  increase,  behold.  The  signs  of  the  Messiah 
(cf.  vii.  22).  third  day.  Probably  not  three 
actual  days  are  meant,  but  the  phrase  expresses  an 
appointed  time.  God's  will,  not  Herod's  pleasure, 
will  fix  the  end  of  Jesus'  ministry,  perfected 
(cf.  Heb.  ii.  10,  v.  9,  vii.  28).  Not  only  will  His 
own  vocation  be  fulfilled,  but  therein  also  His  ex- 
perience and  character  be  completed.  The  Epistle 
to  the  Hebrews  alone  has  the  idea  here  expressed. 

33.  I  must.  The  Divine  necessity  is  laid  upon 
Him,  not  Herod's  wishes,  cannot  be.  Jerusalem 
has  established  a  precedent  as  the  proper  place  for 
the  murder  of  prophets ; — what  scathing  irony ! 
But  this  is  not  all  Jesus  meant.  He  recognised 
the  Divine  will  in  this  precedent.  As  Messiah  He 
must  offer  Himself  to,  and  be  rejected  by,  the 
nation  at  the  capital. 

34.  killest.  A  permanent  characteristic  of  the 
guilty  city  (cf.  Acts  vii.  52).     stonest  (cf.  Matt. 


248   Westminster  New  Testament 

xxi.  85  ;  Heb.  xii.  20).  The  lot  of  Stephen  (Acts 
vii.  58).  sent.  Not  another  class  than  the 
prophets ;  a  Hebrew  parallelism,  how  often. 
This  gives  support  to  John's  testimony  to  more 
visits  to,  and  a  longer  ministry  in,  Jerusalem  than 
the  Synoptists  report,  children.  This  cannot 
mean  anything  else  than  the  inhabitants,  brood. 
Matthew  has  "her  chickens"  (cf.  Deut.  xxxii.  11). 
35.  desolate  is  a  gloss.  The  meaning  is  :  God 
has  withdrawn  from  His  care  over  you,  and  you  are 

left  to  yourselves.    Ye  shall  not  see  me.  Cf. 

Jer.  vii.  34>,  viii.  21.  The  words,  the  time  COme 
when,  are  not  authentic.  The  reference  is  not 
either  to  the  triumphal  entry  into  Jerusalem,  for 
that  was  not  the  act  of  Jerusalem  itself ;  or  to  the 
Second  Advent,  as  in  all  the  teaching  about  it 
there  is  no  promise  of  a  previous  repentance  of 
Jerusalem.  The  statement  is  quite  general.  Only 
if,  and  when  penitent,  will  Jerusalem  welcome  the 
Messiah.      Blessed,  etc.,  is  a  quotation  from  Ps. 

cxviii.  26,  LXX.  the  name  of  the  Lord.  As 
representing  Jehovah. 


Luke  xiv.  1-6. 

ANOTHER  SABBATH  CURE. 

And  it  came  to  pass,  as  he  went  into  the  house  of  one  of 
the  chief  Pharisees  to  eat  bread  on  the  sabbath  day,  that 

2  they  watched  him.     And,  behold,  there  was  a  certain  man 

3  before  him  which  had  the  dropsy.  And  Jesus  answering 
spake  unto  the  lawyers  and  Pharisees,  saying,  Is  it  lawful 

4  to  heal  on  the  sabbath  day  ?     And  they  held  their  peace. 

5  And  he  took  him,  and  healed  him,  and  let  him  go  ;  and 
answered  them,  saying,  Which  of  you  shall  have  an  ass  or 
an  ox  fallen  into  a  pit,  and  will  not  straightway  pull  him 


St.  Luke  xiv.  i-6  249 

6  out  on  the  sabbath  day  ?    And  they  could  not  answer  him 
again  to  these  things. 

The  section  vers.  1-24  is  peculiar  to  Luke, 
although  the  sayings  in  ver.  5  and  ver.  11  have 
parallels  in  Matthew  (xii.  11,  xxiii.  12),  and  the 
Parable  of  the  Great  Supper  (vers.  15-24)  has 
some  resemblance  to  the  Parable  of  the  Marriage 
Feast  in  Matt.  xxii.  2-14. 

1.  one  of  the  chief  Pharisees.  R.V.,  '^one 

of  the  rulers  of  the  Pharisees."  There  were  no 
officials  bearing  authority  among  the  Pharisees, 
but  some  were  more  prominent  than  others. 
These  would  generally  reside  in  Jerusalem,  but 
Luke  does  not  fix  the  place  of  this  incident,  eat 
bread.  Cf.  on  xi.  37.  Strict  as  was  Jewish  Sab- 
batarianism, banquets  were  freely  indulged  in. 
watched  him,  R.V.,  "were  watching  Him,"  in 
suspicion  and  hostiUty.  The  invitation  seems  to 
have  had  a  sinister  motive  (cf.  vi.  7,  xx.  20). 

2.  behold.  The  man's  presence  does  not  seem 
to  have  been  arranged  beforehand  as  a  trap  for 
Jesus,  as  the  word  suggests  that  his  appearance 
was  a  surprise  to  the  guests,  perhaps  even  to  the 
host.  Though  uninvited,  the  man  would  in  an 
Eastern  house  find  entrance  easy,  dropsy.  A 
medical  term  (cf.  Num.  v.  21,  22  ;  Ps.  cix.  18). 

3.  answering.  The  thoughts  that  the  man's 
presence  as  an  appeal  for  a  cure  would  arouse  in 
the  suspicious,  hostile  company.  Jesus  puts  the 
Pharisees  in  a  dilemma.  They  could  not  say  Nay, 
and  they  would  not  say  Yea. 

4.  took  him.  "Touched"  is  the  usual  phrase 
(iv.  13,  xxii.  51).  let  him  go.  Rather,  "dismissed 
him,"  so  that  no  unkindness  might  be  shown  him. 


250   Westminster  New  Testament 

5.  Which  of  you.  You  will  in  self-interest  do 
what  you  would  prevent  My  doing  in  compassion, 
an  ass.  R.V.  marg.,  "Many  ancient  authorities 
read  a  son.  See  chap.  xiii.  15."  The  substitution 
of  "ass"  for  "son"  was  due  to  two  reasons: 
(l)"ass"  and  "ox "go  together  more  naturally; 
(2)  the  argument  from  beast  to  man  seems 
weakened. 

6.  could  not  answer.  First  (ver.  4)  they  would 
not,  then  they  could  not. 


Luke  xiv.  7-14. 
MORE  TABLE-TALK. 

7  And  he  put  forth  a  parable  to  those  which  were  bidden, 
when  he  marked  how  they  chose  out  the   chief  rooms  ; 

8  saying  unto  them,  When  thou  art  bidden  of  any  man  to  a 
wedding,  sit  not  down  in  the  highest  room ;  lest  a  more 

9  honourable  man  than  thou  be  bidden  of  him  ;  and  he  that 
bade  thee  and  him  come  and  say  to  thee,  Give  this  man 
place ;   and  thou   begin  with   shame   to  take   the   lowest 

10  room.  But  when  thou  art  bidden,  go  and  sit  down  in  the 
lowest  room  ;  that  when  he  that  bade  thee  cometh,  he 
may  say  unto  thee,  Friend,  go  up  higher  :  then  shalt  thou 
have  worship  in  the  presence  of  them  that  sit  at  meat  with 

1 1  thee.     For  whosoever  exalteth  himself  shall  be   abased  ; 

12  and  he  that  humbleth  himself  shall  be  exalted.  Then  said 
he  also  to  him  that  bade  him,  When  thou  makest  a  dinner 
or  a  supper,  call  not  thy  friends,  nor  thy  brethren,  neither 
thy  kinsman,  nor  thy  rich  neighbours  ;  lest  they  also  bid 

13  thee  again,  and  a  recompence  be  made  thee.  But  when 
thou  makest  a  feast,  call  the  poor,  the  maimed,  the  lame, 

14  the  blind :  and  thou  shalt  be  blessed  ;  for  they  cannot 
recompense  thee :  for  thou  shalt  be  recompensed  at  the 
resurrection  of  the  just. 


St.  Luke  xiv.  7-14  251 

If  this  "  parable "  followed  immediately  on  the 
cure,  then,  in  spite  of  the  unfriendly  company, 
Jesus  remained  in  the  house,  and  observed  the 
scramble  among  the  guests  for  the  best  seats,  on 
which  He  commented  in  His  table-talk.  What 
follows  is  not  a  parable  in  the  strict  sense,  but 
a  lesson  in  humility  figuratively  expressed.  It  is 
not  instruction  in  deportment  or  etiquette  Jesus 
is  concerned  about ;  and  as  the  use  of  the  word 
'parable  shows,  the  counsels  are  not  to  be  taken 
literally. 

7.  chose.  Cf.  xxii.   24.    chief  rooms.   R.V., 

"seats."  If  Jewish  custom  was  followed,  of  the 
three  seats  on  a  couch,  that  in  the  middle  was  the 
place  of  honour,  the  left  came  next,  and  the  right 
last. 

8.  wedding".  R.V.,  "marriage  feast,"  when 
greater  formality  would  be  observed  than  had 
been  at  the  present  gathering,  sit  ttOt  down. 
Gr.  "recline  not." 

9.  thee  and  him.  The  common  host  has  a 
right  to  fix  the  order  of  precedence,  lowest. 
All  others  being  by  this  time  full.  room.  R.V., 
"place."     Cf.  Prov.  xxv.  5-7. 

10.  that.  If  the  clause  does  not  express  the 
result,  but  the  intention,  it  is  Jesus'  purpose  in 
giving  the  advice,  not  the  hearer's  in  following  it, 
that  is  expressed.  He  who  takes  the  lowest  place 
will  be  advanced ;  but  he  must  not,  in  "  the  pride 
that  apes  humility,"  take  it  in  order  to  be  advanced. 
go  Up.  Rather,  "  come  up  "  beside  me.  worship. 
An  old  use  of  the  word.  R.V.,  "glory,"  reverence, 
respect. 

11.  One  of  the  sayings  used  by  Jesus  on  various 
occasions   (xviii.    14;    Matt,    xxiii.    12).     abased. 


252   Westminster  New  Testament 

Better  R.V.,  "  humbled."  The  same  word  is  twice 
used.  This  verse  shows  that  Jesus  has  not  been 
uttering  maxims  of  earthly  prudence,  but  has 
been  teaching  figuratively  the  duty  of  humility  as 
essential  to  the  Kingdom. 

12.  From  the  guests  Jesus  turns  to  the  host, 
and  as  He  was  invited  as  a  public  teacher,  there 
was  no  breach  of  good  manners  in  offering  him 
such  advice.  Again  Jesus  is  not  giving  rules  to 
be  rigidly  observed ;  He  is  not  censuring  the 
composition  of  the  company  around  him  ;  He  is 
enforcing  the  moral  duty  of  benevolence  as  well  as 
hospitality,  call  not.  Always  without  exception. 
It  is  the  hospitality  which  excludes  benevolence 
which  is  censured,  lest.  R.V.,  "lest  haply";  a 
playful  warning.  There  is  the  danger  of  getting 
only  the  earthly  reward  of  a  return  invitation,  and 
not  the  heavenly  treasure  benevolence  secures  (cf. 
Matt.  vi.  2,  5). 

1 3.  The  invited  are  the  economically  or  physically 
incapable  of  entertaining  (cf.  Tob.  iv.  7). 

14.  blessed.  In  not  getting  temporary  earthly 
recompense,  but  the  eternal  heavenly  reward. 
Jesus  does  not  here  appeal  to  mere  prudential 
calculation,  because  the  reward  He  promises  does 
not  appeal  to  the  worldly,  the  resurrection  of 
the  just.  This  looks  like  a  reference  to  the 
doctrine  of  the  double  resurrection  (cf.  1  Cor.  xv. 
23  ;  1  Thess.  iv.  l6;  Rev.  xx.  5,  6),  the  righteous 
being  raised  first ;  but  it  is  doubtful  whether  Jesus 
taught  the  resurrection  of  the  wicked  as  well  as 
the  righteous,  and  certain  that  nowhere  else  does 
He  teach  the  double  resurrection. 


St.  Luke  xiv.  15-24  253 

Luke  xiv.  15-24  (cf.  Matt.  xxii.  2-14). 
THE  GREAT  SUPPER. 

15  And  when  one  of  them  that  sat  at  meat  with  him  heard 
these  things,  he  said  unto  him,  Blessed  is  he  that  shall  eat 

16  bread  in  the  kingdom  of  God,     Then  said  he  unto  him, 

17  A  certain  man  made  a  great  supper,  and  bade  many  :  and 
sent  his  servant  at  supper  time  to  say  to  them  that  were 

iS  bidden.  Come  ;  for  all  things  are  now  ready.  And  they 
all  with  one  consent  began  to  make  excuse.  The  first  said 
unto  him,  I  have  bought  a  piece  of  ground,  and  I  must 

19  needs  go  and  see  it :  I  pray  thee  have  me  excused.  And 
another  said,  I  have  bought  five  yoke  of  oxen,  and  I  go  to 

20  prove  them  :  I  pray  thee  have  me  excused.  And  another 
said,  I  have  married  a  wife,  and  therefore  I  cannot  come. 

21  So  that  servant  came,  and  showed  his  lord  these  things. 
Then  the  master  of  the  house  being  angry  said  to  his 
servant,  Go  out  quickly  into  the  streets  and  lanes  of  the 
city,  and  bring  in  hither  the  poor,  and  the  maimed,  and 

22  the  halt,  and  the  blind.  And  the  servant  said,  Lord,  it  is 
done  as   thou  hast  commanded,  and   yet   there   is  room. 

23  And  the  lord  said  unto  the  servant.  Go  out  into  the  high- 
ways and  hedges,  and  compel  them  to  come  in,  that  my 

24  house  may  be  filled.  For  I  say  unto  you,  That  none  of 
those  men  which  were  bidden  shall  taste  of  my  supper. 

While  the  resemblances  here  to  the  parable  in 
Matt.  xxii.  2-14  are  close  and  numerous  enough 
to  justify  the  suggestion  that  both  passages  are 
variant  traditions  of  one  parable,  the  differences 
are  such  as  to  make  it  more  probable  that  Jesus 
on  two  occasions  used  similar  familiar  imageiy. 

15.  Was  the  comment  made  ignorantly,  or  hypo- 
critically ?  Did  the  speaker  himself  desire  and 
expect  the  blessing,  or  did  he  speak  sarcastically 


254   Westminster  New  Testament 

suggesting  that  a  reward  secured  in  such  ways 
(ver.  14)  was  not  worth  having?  Jesus'  answer 
indicates  that  the  speaker's  self-complacency 
needed  to  be  disturbed  rather  than  his  hostility 
rebuked.     Blessed.    Cf.  Rev.  xix.  9. 

16.  Then.  Better  R.V.,  "but";  it  brings  out 
Jesus'  opposition  to  the  spirit  of  the  previous  saying. 
many.    The  Jewish  nation. 

17.  servant.  Represented  in  fact  by  John  the 
Baptist,  Jesus  Himself.  It  was  the  custom  to 
send  a  reminder :  for  the  host  to  neglect  giving  a 
second  summons  was  to  insult  his  guests ;  for  the 
guests  who  had  accepted  the  general  invitation  to 
give  no  heed  to  this,  its  renewal,  was  to  insult  the 
host  (cf.  Esth.  V.  8,  vi.  14). 

18.  all.  As  if  by  prearrangement,  a  conspiracy 
to  insult  their  host,  make  exCUSe.  To  make 
excuses  was  bad  ;  to  make  so  paltry  excuses  worse, 
must  needs  (cf.  xxiii.  17;  l  Cor.  vii.  37;  Heb. 
vii.  27  ;  Jude  3).  A  mere  pretext ;  the  field  would 
be  seen  before  being  bought,  and  did  not  need  to 
be  seen  again. 

19.  I  go.  "  I  am  going."  He  does  not  plead 
any  necessity. 

20.  cannot.  Cf.  Deut.  xxiv.  5.  His  reason 
seemed  adequate  to  himself. 

21.  quickly.  The  feast  will  go  on  without 
waiting  for  the  convenience  of  the  guests  invited 
who  have  delayed  their  coming,  streets  and 
lanes.  Cf.  Isa.  xv.  3.  the  city.  That  is,  within 
the  chosen  nation,  the  poor,  etc.  "  the  pubhcans 
and  sinners,"  the  outcasts  of  Jewish  society. 
Hitherto  religiously  neglected,  they  might  be 
regarded  as  not  having  received  the  first  invita- 
tion,  although  their  presence  was  from   the  first 


St.  Luke  xiv.  25-35  255 

intended.     All  classes  meet  at  an  Eastern  enter- 
tainment. 

22.  said.  Not  in  answer,  having  anticipated  the 
command,  but  after  an  interval  of  time,  when  the 
command  had  been  executed.  yet  there  is 
room.  The  host's  honour  demanded  that  the 
places  of  the  insulting  guests  should  all  be  taken 
by  others. 

23.  highways  and  hedges.  Outside  the  city 
— that  is,  the  heathen  world  beyond  the  Jewish 
nation,  compel.  Better  R.V.,  "constrain."  Not 
force,  but  argument  and  appeal  are  to  be  used. 
There  is  no  warrant  here  for  religious  persecution. 
filled.  The  word  implies  that  the  house  was  full 
when  the  feast  began ;  the  Gentiles  did  replace 
the  Jews  (cf.  Rom.  xi.  25). 

24.  This  is  the  host's  declaration  to  all  who  may 
hear  of  his  intentions.  In  it  Jesus  expresses  His 
solemn  warning  to  all  His  hearers. 


Luke  xiv.  25-35  (cf.  Matt.  x.  37,  38,  xvi.  24,  v.  13 ; 
Mark  ix.  50). 

COUNTING  THE  COST. 

25  And  there  went  great  multitudes  with  him  :  and  he  turned, 

26  and  said  unto  them,  If  any  man  come  to  me,  and  hate 
not  his  father,  and  mother,  and  wife,  and  children,  and 
brethren,  and  sisters,  yea,  and  his  own  life  also,  he  cannot 

27  be  my  disciple.     And  whosoever  doth  not  bear  his  cross, 

28  and  come  after  me,  cannot  be  my  disciple.  For  which  of 
you,  intending  to  build  a  tower,  sitteth  not  down  first, 
and  counteth  the  cost,  whether  he  have  sufficient  to  finish 

29  it  ?  Lest  haply,  after  he  hath  laid  the  foundation,  and  is 
not  able  to  finish  it,  all  that  behold  it  begin  to  mock  him, 

30  saying,  This  man  began   to  build,  and  was   not   able   to 


256   Westminster  New  Testament 

31  finish.  Or  what  king,  going  to  make  war  against  another 
king,  sitteth  not  down  first,  and  consulteth  whether  he  be 
able  with  ten  thousand  to  meet  him  that  cometh  against 

32  him  with  twenty  thousand?  Or  else,  while  the  other  is 
yet  a  great  way  off,  he  sendeth  an  ambassage,  and  desireth 

33  conditions  of  peace.  So  likewise,  whosoever  he  be  of  you 
that  forsaketh  not  all  that  he   hath,  he   cannot   be   my 

34  disciple.     Salt  is  good  :  but  if  the  salt  have  lost  his  savour, 

35  wherewith  shall  it  be  seasoned  ?  It  is  neither  fit  for  the 
land,  nor  yet  for  the  dunghill ;  but  men  cast  it  out.  He 
that  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear. 

This  passage  is  a  combination  of  a  number  of 
sayings.  Vers.  28-33  are  peculiar  to  Luke,  but 
ver.  33  seems  to  be  the  summing  up  not  only  of 
the  lesson  of  the  sayings  about  the  tower  and  the 
war,  but  also  of  vers.  26,  27.  These  sayings  in 
vers.  26,  27  are  drawn  from  Q,  and  given  by 
Matthew  in  connection  with  the  Mission  of  the 
Twelve  (also  the  rebuke  of  Peter  at  Caesarea 
Philippi).  The  saying  about  the  salt  has  its 
parallels  in  Matthew  in  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount, 
and  in  Mark  in  connection  with  the  warning  about 
causing  offence. 

25.  great  multitudes.  Evidently  expecting 
Jesus  to  declare  and  assert  His  Messiahship.  A 
sifting  is  necessary,  and  Jesus  uses  the  fan  on  His 
threshing-floor  by  declaring  the  cost  of  discipleship. 

26.  hate.  Only  when  family  relationships  come 
into  conflict  with  the  claims  of  the  Kingdom,  must 
they  be  disowned.  Jesus  purposely  expresses 
Himself  in  this  startling  way  to  arrest  attention 
and  compel  consideration,  his  OWn  life.  This  is 
the  extreme  self-denial  (ix.  23). 

27.  cross.   Cf.  on  ix.  23. 

28-33.  The  two  illustrations  of  reckless  building 


St.  Luke  XV.  1-7  257 

and  warfare  may  have  been  suggested  by  some 
recent  events,  as  both  follies  abounded  in  that  age. 

28.  sitteth  not  down  for  prolonged  calculation. 

30.  This  man.  Contemptuous,  began.  With- 
out making  sure  that  he  could  finish. 

33.  The  cost  of  discipleship  is  a  complete  re- 
nunciation. What  the  two  parables  teach  is  that 
this  cost  must  be  well  considered  beforehand. 

34.  In  Matthew  the  salt  represents  Christian 
influence  generally ;  here  it  means  the  spirit  of 
self-sacrifice,     if.    R.V.,  "  if  even." 

35.  This  verse  is  not  to  be  allegorised.  It 
simply  expresses  the  utter  uselessness  of  savourless 
salt. 


Luke  XV.  1-7  (of.  Matt,  xviii.  12-14 ;  also  John  x.  i-i8). 

THE  LOST  SHEEP. 

Then  drew  n^ar  unto  him  all  the  publicans  and  sinners  for 
2  to  hear  him.  And  the  Pharisees  and  scribes  murmured, 
saying,  This  man  receiveth  sinners,  and  eateth  with  them. 
3  4  And  he  spake  this  parable  unto  them,  saying,  What  man  of 
you,  having  an  hundred  sheep,  if  he  lose  one  of  them,  doth 
not  leave  the  ninety  and  nine  in  the  wilderness,  and  go  after 

5  that  which  is  lost,  until  he  find  it  ?   And  when  he  hath  found 

6  it,  he  layeth  it  on  his  shoulders,  rejoicing.  And  when  he 
Cometh  home,  he  calleth  together  his  friends  and  neighbours, 
saying  unto  them.  Rejoice  with  me  ;  for  I  have  found  my 

7  sheep  which  was  lost.  I  say  unto  you,  that  likewise  joy 
shall  be  in  heaven  over  one  sinner  that  repenteth,  more  than 
over  ninety  and  nine  just  persons,  which  need  no  repentance. 

The  three  parables  in  this  chapter  are  Jesus' 
apology  for  His  intercourse  with  publicans  and 
sinners.     Only  one  of  the  three  is  found  elsewhere  ; 

^7 


258   Westminster  New  Testament 

and  Matthew  connects  the  Parable  of  the  Lost  Sheep 
with  the  warning  against  causing  any  of  the  Httle 
ones  to  stumble.  The  Lost  Sheep  and  the  Lost  Coin 
are  companion  parables,  both  teaching  the  value 
of  even  one  sinner  to  God.  The  Prodigal  Son  con- 
trasts God's  and  man's  attitude  to  the  sinful,  the 
Father  representing  God  and  the  elder  brother  the 
Pharisees  and  scribes.  The  common  thought  is  the 
joy  of  God  in  the  recovery  of  the  lost. 

1.  drew.  R.V.,  "were  drawing,"  Cf.  on  v.  27. 
all.  Either  hyperbolic  for  many,  or  all  in  the 
place. 

2.  Cf.  on  V.  30.  receiveth.  "gives  a  welcome 
to  "  (Rom.  xvi.  2  ;  Phil.  ii.  29). 

3.  And.  Rather  "  but."  What  He  says  is  op- 
posed to  what  they  say. 

4.  "What  man.  For  similar  appeal  to  personal 
experience,  cf,  xi.  5,  xii.  25,  xiv.  5,  28.  an  hundred. 
Even  one  out  of  so  large  a  number  has  value. 
leave.  This  implies  no  danger  or  hurt  to  the  flock, 
wilderness.  The  usual  pastures,  until.  Effort 
is  not  relaxed  until  the  end  is  gained. 

5.  layeth  it  on  his  shoulders.  Kindly  care 
(cf.  Is.  xl.  11,  xlix.  22,  Ix.  4,  Ixvi.  12).    rejoicing. 

No  anger  or  annoyance  at  the  trouble,  only  pleasure 
in  the  recoverJ^ 

6.  calleth  together.  Strong  feeling  must  be 
shared,  which  was  lost.  Contrasted  with  ver.  9, 
"which  I  had  lost."  The  shepherd  cannot  blame 
himself. 

7.  heaven.  God  and  His  angels,  just  persons. 

Spoken  ironically  of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees,  who 
so  regarded  themselves,  and  despised  sinners.  It 
is  characteristic  of  Luke  to  lay  so  great  stress  on 
repentance. 


St.  Luke  XV.  8-IO  259 

Luke  XV  8-10. 
THE  LOST  COIN. 

8  Either  what  woman  having  ten  pieces  of  silver,  if  she  lose 
one  piece,  doth  not  light  a  candle,  and  sweep  the  house, 

9  and  seek  diligently  till  she  find  it  ?  And  when  she  hath  found 
it,  she  calleth  her  friends  and  her  neighbours  together,  say- 
ing. Rejoice  with  me ;  for  I  have  found  the  piece  which  I 

10  had  lost.     Likewise,  I  say  unto  you,  there  is  joy  in  the 
presence  of  the  angels  of  God  over  one  sinner  that  repenteth. 

This  parable  is  found  in  Luke  alone ;  a  woman 
takes  the  place  of  a  man,  a  coin  that  can  be  lost  of 
a  sheep  than  can  lose  itself  (can  stray  from  the 
pastures) ;  there  is  self-blame  in  the  one,  but  not 
in  the  other. 

8.  pieces.  R.V.  marg.  "  drachma f  a  coin  worth 
about  eightpence  "  ;  not  the  same  as  the  denarius. 
The  parable  must  not  be  allegorised  by  bringing  in 
the  idea  of  "  the  image  and  superscription."  It  is 
mere  conjecture  that  the  ten  coins  had  been  strung 
together  to  form  an  ornament  for  the  head,  and 
that  the  coin  had  for  the  woman  more  than  its 
usual  value  as  currency,  light.  As  Eastern  houses 
are  often  without  a  window,  they  are  dark  inside 
even  in  the  daylight,     candle.    R.V.,  "lamp." 

10.  in  the  presence,  "in  the  judgment,"  so 
different  from  the  Pharisaic. 

It  is  an  unwarranted  allegorising  of  these  parables 
to  interpret  the  shepherd  as  the  Son,  the  woman  as 
the  Spirit,  and  the  father  as  the  Father  in  the  God- 
head ;  and  to  represent  the  three  parables  as  teaching 
conjointly  the  co-operation  of  the  persons  in  the 
Trinity  in  man's  salvation.  Neither  can  it  be  affirmed 
that  the  sheep,  the  coin,  and  the  prodigal  represent 


26o   Westminster  New  Testament 

three  types  of  sin  —  through  ignorance,  through 
impotence,  and  through  disobedience  ;  nor  that  the 
threefold  sense  of  "  lost "  —  danger,  disuse,  dis- 
appointment— is  here  expressed.  Such  thoughts 
may  be  suggested,  but  it  is  not  the  intention  of 
the  parables  to  teach  these  truths. 

Luke  XV.  11-32. 

THE  PRODIGAL  AND  THE  ELDER  BROTHER. 

1 1  12  And  he  said,  A  certain  man  had  two  sons :  and  the 
younger  of  them  said  to  his  father,  Father,  give  me  the 
portion  of  goods  that  falleth  to  me.     And  he  divided  unto 

13  them  his  living.  And  not  many  days  after  the  younger 
son  gathered  all  together,  and  took  his  journey  into  a  far 
country,  and  there  wasted  his  substance  with  riotous  living. 

14  And  when  he  had  spent  all,  there  arose  a  mighty  famine  in 

1 5  that  land  ;  and  he  began  to  be  in  want.  And  he  went  and 
joined  himself  to  a  citizen  of  that  country  ;  and  he  sent  him 

16  into  his  fields  to  feed  swine.  And  he  would  fain  have  filled 
his  belly  with  the  husks  that  the  swine  did  eat  :  and  no  man 

17  gave  unto  him.  And  when  he  came  to  himself,  he  said, 
How  many  hired  servants  of  my  father's  have  bread  enough 

18  and  to  spare,  and  I  perish  with  hunger  !  I  will  arise  and  go 
to  my  father,  and  will  say  unto  him.  Father,  I  have  sinned 

19  against  heaven,  and  before  thee,  and  am  no  more  worthy 
to  be  called  thy  son  :  make  me  one  of  thy  hired  servants. 

20  And  he  arose,  and  came  to  his  father.  But  when  he  was 
yet  a  great  way  off,  his  father  saw  him,  and  had  compassion, 

21  and  ran,  and  fell  on  his  neck,  and  kissed  him.  And  the 
son  said  unto  him.  Father,  I  have  sinned  against  heaven, 
and  in  thy  sight,  and  am  no  more  worthy  to  be  called  thy 

22  son.  But  the  father  said  to  his  servants,  Bring  forth  the 
best  robe,  and  put  it  on  him  ;  and  put  a  ring  on  his  hand, 

23  and  shoes  on  his  feet :  and  bring  hither  the  fatted  calf,  and 

24  kill  it  ;  and  let  us  eat,  and  be  merry  :  for  this  my  son  was 


St.  Luke  XV.  11-32  261 

dead,  and  is  alive  again  ;  he  was  lost,  and  is  found.     And 

25  they  began  to  be  merry.  Now  his  elder  son  was  in  the 
field  :  and  as  he  came  and  drew  nigh  to  the  house,  he  heard 

26  musick  and  dancing.    And  he  called  one  of  the  servants,  and 

27  asked  what  these  things  meant.  And  he  said  unto  him, 
Thy  brother  is  come  ;  and  thy  father  hath  killed  the  fatted 

28  calf,  because  he  hath  received  him  safe  and  sound.  And  he 
was  angry,  and  would  not  go  in  :  therefore  came  his  father 

29  out,  and  entreated  him.  And  he  answering  said  to  his 
father,  Lo,  these  many  years  do  I  serve  thee,  neither  trans- 
gressed I  at  any  time  thy  commandment :  and  yet  thou  never 
gavest  me  a  kid,  that  I  might  make  merry  with  my  friends  : 

30  but  as  soon  as  this  thy  son  was  come,  which  hath  devoured 
thy  living  with  harlots,  thou  hast  killed  for  him  the  fatted 

31  calf.     And  he  said  unto  him.  Son,  thou  art  ever  with  me, 

32  and  all  that  I  have  is  thine.  It  was  meet  that  we  should 
make  merry,  and  be  glad  :  for  this  thy  brother  was  dead, 
and  is  alive  again  ;  and  was  lost,  and  is  found. 

It  is  by  no  means  certain  that  this  parable  was 
spoken  at  the  same  time,  and  Luke  seems  to  make 
a  fresh  start  with  the  words,  ^'and  He  said."  This 
is  not  a  parable  in  quite  the  same  sense  as  the  Lost 
Sheep  and  the  Lost  Coin,  as  the  story  told  and  the 
truth  taught  are  blended  together.  It  is  the  story 
of  a  sinner's  repentence  and  pardon  by  his  father, 
told  to  teach  the  truth  of  God's  readiness  to  forgive 
the  sinful.  There  is  not  one  point  of  comparison, 
but  the  resemblance  runs  through  all  the  narra- 
tive. It  would  be  pedantry  to  confine  the  teach- 
ing of  the  parable  to  the  one  lesson  that  God  is 
more  gracious  to  sinners  than  are  self-righteous  men. 
As  unwarranted  is  the  common  assumption  that  this 
parable  is  the  whole  Gospel,  and  that  Christ's  death, 
because  not  mentioned  here,  does  not  belong  to  the 
Gospel. 


262   Westminster  New  Testament 

12.  portion.  One-half  of  the  elder  brother's 
share — that  is,  one-third  (Deut.  xxi.  17).  g^oods. 
R.V.,  "  thy  substance  "  ;  Gr.  "  the  substance."  It 
appears  that  a  father  did  not  bequeath  his  pro- 
perty to  his  sons  after  death,  but  while  living 
surrendered  it  to  them  on  the  understanding  that 
they  would  support  him  in  his  old  age.  The  son 
demands  that  this  should  be  done  sooner  than  the 
father  intended,  living.  The  same  as  the  sub- 
stance. 

13.  not  many  days  after.  He  hastens  to  assert 
his  freedom,    gathered  all  together.   He  cuts 

all  connection  with  home,  a  far  country.  He 
makes  sure  of  being  beyond  all  control  and  restraint, 
wasted.  He  squanders  what  he  has  not  saved. 
riotous.  Lit.,  "spendthrift"  (cf.  Prov.  vii.  11; 
the  noun  in  Eph.  v.  18  ;  Tit.  i.  6 ;  1  Pet.  iv.  4.). 

14.  Besides  the  direct  consequences  of  evil-doing, 
the  sinner  is  exposed  to  adverse  circumstances, 
which  he  has  made  himself  incapable  of  resisting. 

15.  His  prodigality  has  gained  him  no  friends  ; 
casting  off  home  restraints  he  has  to  submit  himself 
to  the  conditions  of  a  servant,  feed  Swine. 
A  degrading  occupation,  especially  repugnant  to  a 
Jew,  for  whom  swine  were  unclean. 

16.  Cf.  xvi.  21.  filled  his  belly.  The  true 
reading  is  the  R.V.,  " been  filled."  husks.  "Gr. 
the  pods  of  the  carob  tree,"  which  is  also  called  the 
"locust  tree,"  or  "John  the  Baptist  tree,"  or  "St. 
John's  bread,"  as  it  has  been  supposed  that  these 
pods  are  meant  by  the  locusts,  which  the  Baptist 
ate.  no  man.  He  was  allowed  to  suffer  hunger, 
none  caring  for  him. 

17.  came  to  himself  (cf.  Acts  xii.  11).  Till 
now  he  had  been  "  beside  himself." 


St.  Luke  XV.  11-32  263 

1 8.  arise.  "  pull  myself  together  from  my  hope- 
less, helpless  condition."  against  heaven  (cf.  Ex. 
X.  16).  His  disobedience  to  his  father  he  now 
recognises  as  a  sin  against  God.  before  thee, 
^'in  thy  judgment"  (cf.  1  Sam.  vii.  6,  xx.  1). 

19.  called.  By  thee,  hired  servant.  Better 
than  his  present  lot. 

20.  his.  Emphatic  "  his  own/'  unchanged  in  love 
by  his  sin.  ran,  etc.  Cf.  Acts  xx.  37.  kissed 
him.  Gr.  "  Kissed  him  much,"  or  tenderly  (cf. 
vii.  38). 

21.  His  father's  love  forbids  the  request  to  be 
made  as  one  of  his  hired  servants. 

22.  said.  On  entering  the  house,  the  best  in 
the  house,  robe.  Gr.  "  stole,"  Heb.  talarj  a  long, 
stately  garment  (Mark  xii.  38,  xvi,  5  ;  Rev.  vi.  1 1,  vii. 
9, 1 3).  ring  (cf .  Jas.  ii.  2).  Probably  a  signet-ring,  as 
token  of  honour  and  authority  (Gen.  xli.  42 ;  Esth. 
iii.  10,  viii.  2).  shoes.  Which  slaves  did  not  wear  ; 
thus  tokens  of  honour. 

23.  kill.  Not  ''  sacrifice  "  (as  in  Acts  xiv.  13,  1 8  ; 
1  Cor.  X.  20),  but  "slay"  for  food  (Acts  x.  13,xi.  7  ; 
John  x.  10).  the  fatted  calf.  One  kept  for  great 
occasions  (cf.  Judg.  vi.  25  ;  1  Sam.  xxviii.  24  ;  Jer. 
xlvi.  21). 

24.  A  rhythmic  utterance  with  the  Hebrew 
parallelism.  "Dead"  and  "lost,"  "alive"  and 
"found,"  are  equivalents.  The  son's  moral  con- 
dition is  not  referred  to,  but  only  his  separation 
from,  and  return  to,  his  father. 

25.  The  parable  as  teaching  how  God  welcomes 
the  sinner  has  been  completed.  The  Pharisees 
might  have  inferred  the  contrast  between  God's 
and  their  attitude ;  but  Jesus  puts  it  beyond  doubt 
in  this  continuation  of  the  story,  but  there  is  also  a 


264   Westminster  New  Testament 

word  of  grace  :  they  too  are  sons,  with  the  blessings 
of  sonship  within  reach  ;  they  too  might  share  God's 
joy  in  the  salvation  of  sinners.  How  much  they 
are  missing  by  their  unlikeness  to  God !  field. 
At  work,  but  in  no  willing  spirit,  musick  and 
dancing.  By  attendants,  not  the  company  at  the 
banquet. 

26.  asked.  Does  this  suggest  distrust  of  his 
father,  or  even  the  suspicion  that  his  brother  had 
come  back,  to  him  an  unwelcome  return  ? 

27.  sound.    "In  health"  (cf.  vii.  10). 

28.  entreated  him.  No  favouritism  for  one  son, 
but  fatherly  love  for  both. 

29.  This  saying  expresses  the  Pharisaic  spirit  of 
legalism,  of  self-righteousness,  of  desire  for  the 
reward  of  obedience  to  the  Law,  and  of  indifference 
to  the  closer  fellowship  of  the  soul  with  God.  He 
obeys,  not  because  he  cares  for  his  father,  but 
because  he  wants  rewards. 

30.  this  thy  son.  "  this  precious  son  of  yours," 
not  "my  brother."  thy  living.  The  portion  he 
forced  you  to  give  to  him.  harlots.  Contrast  to 
friends   in  ver.   29.     He   thinks    the   worst  of  his 

brother,     fatted  calf.    Contrast  to  kid  (ver.  29). 

31.  Son.  More  tender,  Gr.  "child."  thou  art 
ever  with  me.  Thy  privileges  as  a  son  are  always 
there.  Thou  hast  not  claimed  all  I  am  willing  to 
give.  He  has  been  as  a  hired  servant  because  of 
his  distrust  of  his  father. 

32.  it  was  meet.  A  gentle  rebuke.  The  elder 
brother  had  failed  to  recognise  what  was  appropriate 
to  such  an  occasion.  make  merry.  Outward, 
be  glad.  Inward,  thy  brother.  Again  a  gentle 
rebuke  ;  the  relationship  cannot  be  disowned.' 


St.  Luke  xvi.  1-13  265 


Luke  xvi.  1-13. 

THE  WISDOM  OF  THIS  WORLD. 

And  he  said  also  unto  his  disciples,  There  was  a  certain 
rich  man,  which  had  a  steward  ;  and  the  same  was  accused 

2  unto  him  that  he  had  wasted  his  goods.  And  he  called 
him,  and  said  unto  him,  How  is  it  that  I  hear  this  of 
thee  ?  give  an  account  of  thy  stewardship  ;  for  thou  mayest 

3  be  no  longer  steward.  Then  the  steward  said  within 
himself,  What  shall  I  do.?  for  my  lord  taketh  away  from 
me  the  stewardship  :  I  cannot  dig  ;  to  beg  I  am  ashamed. 

4  I  am  resolved  what  to  do,  that,  when  I  am  put  out  of  the 

5  stewardship,  they  may  receive  me  into  their  houses.  So 
he  called  every  one  of  his  lord's  debtors  unto  him,  and 
said  unto  the  first.  How  much  owest  thou  unto  my  lord  ? 

6  And  he  said,  An  hundred  measures  of  oil.  And  he  said 
unto  him.  Take  thy  bill,  and  sit  down   quickly,  and  write 

7  fifty.  Then  said  he  to  another,  And  how  much  owest 
thou?  And  he  said,  An  hundred  measures  of  wheat. 
And  he  said  unto  him,  Take  thy  bill,  and  write  fourscore. 

8  And  the  Lord  commended  the  unjust  steward,  because  he 
had  done  wisely  :  for  the    children    of  this  world   are  in 

9  their  generation  wiser  than  the  children  of  light.  And  I 
say  unto  you.  Make  to  yourselves  friends  of  the  mammon 
of  unrighteousness  ;  that,  when  ye  fail,  they  may  receive 

10  you  into  everlasting  habitations.  He  that  is  faithful  in 
that  which  is  least  is  faithful  also  in  much  :  and  he  that 

11  is  unjust  in  the  least  is  unjust  also  in  much.  If  therefore 
ye  have  not  been  faithful  in  the  unrighteous  mammon,  who 

12  will  commit  to  your  trust  the  true  riches?  And  if  ye 
have   not  been  faithful   in  that   which  is   another   man's, 

13  who  shall  give  you  that  which  is  your  own?  No  servant 
can  serve  two  masters  :  for  either  he  will  hate  the  one, 
and  love  the  other ;  or  else  he  will  hold  to  the  one,  and 
despise  the  other.     Ye  cannot  serve  God  and  mammon. 


266   Westminster  New  Testament 

This  chapter  contains  two  parables  dealing  with 
the  use  and  abuse  of  wealth.  Both  are  peculiar  to 
Luke.  The  one  shows  how  a  man  may  prepare  for 
the  future  world  by  prudence  in  this ;  the  other 
how  by  self-indulgence  a  man  may  incur  penalty 
hereafter.  The  first  presents  serious  moral 
difficulty,  if  we  lay  stress  on  the  details  of  the 
parable;  but  the  one  point  of  comparison  is  the 
commendation  of  prudence.  As  the  earthly 
master  commended  the  worldly  wisdom  of  his 
steward  in  using  his  present  opportunity  to  provide 
for  his  future,  so  God  commends  the  unselfish 
wisdom  of  those  who  use  their  wealth  for  the  good 
of  others. 

1.  disciples.  Not  the  multitude,  nor  the  scribes 
and  Pharisees,  a  certain  rich  man.  No  special 
significance  is  to  be  assigned  as  in  an  allegory. 
steward.  Not  a  slave,  as  in  xii.  42,  but  a  foreman 
holding  a  still  more  responsible  post.  Not  had 
wasted,  a  solitary  act ;  but  R.V.,  "was  wasting," 
a  continued  habit. 

2.  How  is  it.  A.V.  better  than  R. v.,  "  what  is 
this."  give  an  account.  R.V.,  "render  the 
account,"  so  that  I  may  judge  whether  the  charge 
is  true  or  not. 

3.  Conscious  of  guilt,  the  steward  expects  dis- 
missal. I  cannot  dig.  R.V.,  "  I  have  not  strength 
to  dig."     to  beg.    "  to  keep  asking  alms." 

4.  I  am  resolved.    A  sudden  bright  thought. 

5.  debtors  (cf.  vii.  41).  In  kind.  He  tries  to 
cover  his  own  fraud  by  making  the  past  repayment 
made  by  each  appear  less,  and  he  seeks  the  favour 
of  the  creditors  by  reducing  their  future  indebted- 
ness. 

6.  measures.    Gr.  "baths"  (Ezek.  xlv.  10,  11, 


St.  Luke  xvi.  1-13  267 

14),  a  Hebrew  measure  of  about  8f  gallons  (cf. 
John  ii.  6).  bill.  Better  R.V.,  "  bond."  The  debt 
would  be  about  £10. 

7.  measures.  Gr.  "cors"  (Ezek.  xlv.  14),  a 
Hebrew  measure  of  about  10  bushels.  The  debt 
would  be  £100  to  £120. 

8.  unjust  steward.  Gr.  "steward  of  un- 
righteousness" (cf.  next  verse,  "mammon  of 
unrighteousness  ").  His  moral  conduct  is  in  this 
epithet  condemned,  while  the  worldly  prudence  of 
it  is  commended.  He  considered  his  future,  and 
used  his  momentary  opportunity  to  make  per- 
manent provision  for  it.  for,  etc.  This  is  the  lesson  : 
let  saints  be  as  prudent  in  their  concerns  as  world- 
lings, as  illustrated  by  this  steward,  are.  the 
children  of  light.  R.V.,  "  the  sons  of  the  light " 
=  those  whose  characteristic  is  light  (cf.  John  xii. 
36;  1  Thess.  v.  5),  also  "children  of  light"  in 
Eph.  V.  8.    Cf.  2  Thess.  ii.  3,  "  the  son  of  perdition." 

9.  friends.  By  generosity  win  the  affection  and 
gratitude  of  the  poor.  of.  Better  R.V.,  "  by  means 
of";  Gr.  "out  of."  mammon  of  unrighteous- 
ness. Not  wealth  wrongly  got,  but  wealth  so 
often  wrongly  used.  Mammon  is  not  personified, 
as  in  ver.  13.  The  meaning  of  the  word  seems  to  be 
"that  which  is  trusted  in."  that.  The  result 
which  is  the  intention  of  Jesus  in  affirming  the 
counsel,  not  the  motive  of  the  act.  Not  ye  fail,  but 
"  it  shall  fail  "  (R.  V.).  The  wealth,  they.  Either 
impersonal,  or  the  friends  of  ver.  9-  Kindness  to 
the  poor  will  have  its  reward  in  heaven,  everlast- 
ing habitations.  Better  R.V.,  "eternal  taber- 
nacles," in  contrast  to  the  houses  of  ver.  4  (cf.  ix.  33). 

10.  Perhaps  the  unfaithfulness  of  the  steward 
suggests  the  saying  about  faithfulness,    that  which 


268   Westminster  New  Testament 

is    least.    R.V.,   "a  very  little"    (ef.  Matt.    xxv. 
21,  23). 

11.  Not  the  ajnount  of  the  trust,  but  the  char- 
acter of  it  is  the  contrast  here,  unrighteous 
mammon.  Same  as  "the  mammon  of  unright- 
eousness." the  true  riches.  Gr.  "  the  genuine," 
what  is  real.  Mammon  is  a  mere  semblance  of 
possession. 

12.  Only  the  faithful  steward  of  earthly  wealth 
can  be  made  the  possessor  of  the  heavenly 
treasure  (Matt.  xxv.  34).  There  is  a  threefold 
contrast :  "  little  "  and  "  much,"  "  mammon  of  un- 
righteousness "  and  "the  true  riches,"  "another's" 
and  "your  own."  Fidelity  is  the  condition  of 
advance  from  the  one  to  the  other. 

13.  Matthew  places  this  saying  in  the  Sermon 
on  the  Mount  (v.  24),  "  No  household  servant  can 
be  a  slave  to  two  masters  "  (cf.  Jas.  iv.  4),  for  the 
claim  of  each  is  absolute.  Wealth  may  be  used  for 
worthy  ends,  but  to  be  devoted  to  the  gain  or  the 
use  of  it  is  inconsistent  with  devotion  to  God. 


Luke  xvi.  14-18  (cf.  Matt.  xi.  12,  13,  v.  18,  32,  xix.  9 ; 
Mark  x.  11,  12). 

REBUKE  OF  THE  PHARISEES. 

14  And  the  Pharisees  also,  who  were  covetous,  heard  all  these 

15  things  :  and  they  derided  him.  And  he  said  unto  them, 
Ye  are  they  which  justify  yourselves  before  men ;  but 
God  knoweth  your  hearts :  for  that  which  is  highly 
esteemed  among  men  is  abomination  in  the  sight  of  God. 

16  The  law  and  the  prophets  were  until  John :  since  that 
time  the  kingdom   of  God   is  preached,    and   every  man 

17  presseth   into  it.     And  it  is  easier  for  heaven  and  earth 

18  to  pass,  than  one  tittle  of   the  law   to   fail.     Whosoever 


St.  Luke  xvi.  14-18  269 

putteth  away  his  wife,  and  marrieth  another,  committeth 
adultery  ;  and  whosoever  marrieth  her  that  is  put  away 
from  her  husband  committeth  adultery. 

The  parable,  addressed  to  the  disciples,  pro- 
voked the  contempt  of  the  Pharisees,  who  not  only 
loved  riches,  but  regarded  riches  as  a  reward  of 
righteousness.  Jesus  warns  them  of  the  danger 
of  their  wealth  in  the  Parable  of  the  Rich  Man 
and  Lazarus  ;  but  before  recording  the  parable,  the 
Evangelist  brings  together  several  sayings  of  which 
it  is  not  easy  to  discover  any  connection  or  any 
appropriateness  to  the  occasion.  The  Pharisees 
are  rebuked  for  their  self-righteousness ;  they  are 
censured  by  implication  for  not  seeking  to  enter 
the  Kingdom  (also  Matt.  xi.  12,  13);  the  per- 
manence of  the  Law  is  asserted  (also  Matt.  v.  18), 
and  the  objection  to  divorce  is  repeated  (also  Matt. 
V.  32,  xix.  9;  and  Mark  x.  11,  12). 

14.  covetous.  R.V., ''  lovers  of  money  "  (2  Tim. 
iii.  2).  derided.  Lit,  "turned  up  their  noses" 
(xxiii.  S5). 

15.  justify.  Reckon  yourselves  righteous,  be- 
fore men.  R.V.,  "  in  the  sight  of  men  "  ;  men's 
judgment  (cf.  Matt.  vi.  2,  5,  l6,  xxiii.  5,  7,  25). 
Their  piety  was  a  piety  of  ostentation,  hearts. 
Cf.  1  Sam.  xvi.  7 ;  1  Chron.  xxviii.  9.  highly 
esteemed.  R.V., "  exalted  "  ;  held  high  in  honour. 
abomination.  Elsewhere  used  of  idolatry  (Matt, 
xxiv.  15  ;  Rev.  xvii.  4,  5,  xxi.  27).  It  is  a  strong 
word,  and  means  a  serious  offence. 

16.  The  law  and  the  prophets.  The  O.T. 
(Matt.  V.  17,  vii.  12,  xxii.  40  ;  Acts  xiii.  15,  xxviii. 
23).  The  Law  was  first  recognised  as  scripture, 
then  the  prophets,  and  to  these  were  added  later 


270   Westminster  New  Testament 

the  writings,  John  completes  this  dispensation. 
presseth.  R.V.,  "entereth  violently"  (of.  Matt, 
xi.  12).  The  popular  excitement  awakened  first 
by  John's,  then  by  Jesus'  ministry,  was  regarded 
by  the  Pharisees  with  displeasure.  They  are 
censured  for  their  antagonism  to  the  movement. 
Was  their  love  of  riches  the  cause  of  their  attitude 
to  the  latest  manifestation  of  God's  Kingdom  ? 
Is  this  the  connection  of  the  sayings .'' 

1 7.  The  connection  may  be  this :  the  Law  has 
its  fulfilment  in  this  movement,  and  yet  you  who 
boast  of  your  righteousness  in  the  Law  are  in- 
different or  hostile  to  it.  tittle.  A  little  horn  or 
projection  which  distinguishes  Hebrew  letters 
otherwise  very  like  one  another,  fail.  "  fall  to  the 
ground,"  lose  its  authority  (cf  Rom.  ix.  6 ;  1  Cor. 
xiii.  8). 

18.  An  example  of  the  permanence  of  the  Divine 
law,  which  the  scribes  by  their  lax  views  of  divorce 
were  setting  aside.  According  to  Mark  (x.  1-12) 
and  Matthew  (xix.  3-12),  Jesus  was  expressly  asked 
whether  divorce  was  lawful,  and  when  He  as- 
serted God's  original  intention  at  the  creation 
that  marriage  should  be  indissoluble.  He  was 
challenged  to  explain  why  the  Law  allowed  divorce. 
Admitting  that  the  Law  was  given  for  the  "  hard- 
ness of  heart"  of  the  people.  He  asserted  that 
divorce  involved  adultery,  both  for  the  husband 
and  wife,  if  they  married  again.  Matthew  alone 
recognises  fornication  as  a  ground  of  divorce 
(xix.  9,  also  V.  32),  and  there  has  been  much  dis- 
pute as  to  whether  this  was  or  was  not  Jesus'  own 
intention.  The  solution  of  the  problem  seems  to 
be  that  Jesus  was  denouncing  divorce  in  order  to 
secure  freedom  to  marry  another,  the  laxity  of  the 


St.  Luke  xvi.  19-31  271 

scribal  interpretation  of  the  Law,  and  said  nothing 
as  to  whether  there  were  or  were  not  good  grounds 
for  divorce.  Matthew,  who  treats  Jesus'  teaching 
as  the  legislation  of  the  Kingdom,  adds  the  quali- 
fication, believing  that  this  must  have  been  the 
intention  of  Jesus.  What  in  this  verse  Jesus  con- 
demns is  a  man's  divorcing  his  wife  in  order  to 
be  free  to  marry  another,  or  his  getting  another 
man  to  divorce  his  wife  so  as  to  be  free  to  marry 
her.  Jesus  is  not  legislating  about  divorce  ;  He  is 
condemning  laxity  in  the  application  of  the  Law 
from  sensual  motives. 


Luke  xvi.  19-31. 
THE  RICH  MAN  AND  LAZARUS. 

19  There  was  a  certain  rich  man,  which  was  clothed  in 
purple  and  fine  linen,  and  fared  sumptuously  every  day. 

20  And  there  was  a  certain  beggar  named  Lazarus,  which  was 

21  laid  at  his  gate,  full  of  sores,  and  desiring  to  be  fed  with 
the  crumbs  which  fell  from  the  rich  man's  table  :  moreover 

22  the  dogs  came  and  licked  his  sores.  And  it  came  to  pass, 
that  the  beggar  died,  and  was  carried  by  the  angels  into 
Abraham's  bosom  :  the  rich  man  also  died,  and  was  buried  ; 

23  and  in  hell  he  lifted  up  his  eyes,  being  in  torments,  and 

24  seeth  Abraham  afar  off,  and  Lazarus  in  his  bosom.  And 
he  cried  and  said.  Father  Abraham,  have  mercy  on  me, 
and  send  Lazarus,  that  he  may  dip  the  tip  of  his  finger 
in  water,  and  cool  my  tongue  ;  for  I  am  tormented  in  this 

25  flame.  But  Abraham  said,  Son,  remember  that  thou  in 
thy  lifetime  receivedst  thy  good  things,  and  likewise 
Lazarus  evil  things :  but  now  he  is  comforted,  and  thou 

26  art  tormented.  And  beside  all  this,  between  us  and  you 
there  is  a  great  gulf  fixed  :  so  that  they  which  would  pass 
from  hence  to  you  cannot ;  neither  can  they  pass    to  us 


272   Westminster  New  Testament 

27  that  would  come  from  thence.  Then  he  said,  I  pray  thee 
therefore,    father,    that    thou   wouldest   send   him   to    my 

28  father's  house  :  for  I  have  five  brethren  ;  that  he  may 
testify  unto  them,  lest  they  also  come  into  this  place  of 

29  torment.     Abraham  saith  unto    him,    They  have   Moses 

30  and  the  prophets  ;  let  them  hear  them.  And  he  said, 
Nay,  father  Abraham  :    but  if  one   went   unto  them  from 

31  the  dead,  they  will  repent.  And  he  said  unto  him.  If 
they  hear  not  Moses  and  the  prophets,  neither  will  they 
be  persuaded,  though  one  rose  from  the  dead. 


Luke  alone  gives  this  parable  ;  and  it  has  been 
claimed  as  a  proof  of  his  Ebionitism,  and  as  part  of 
an  Ebionite  document.  But  it  is  not  the  posses- 
sion of  wealth  which  is  condemned,  but  the  selfish 
abuse,  and  the  proper  use  of  wealth  in  relieving 
the  needs  of  others  is  presented  as  a  duty  the 
neglect  of  which  will  bring  punishment.  It  is  not 
easy  to  determine  just  what  the  lesson  is.  If  we 
connect  it  with  ver.  14,  then  we  have  here  a 
warning  against  the  dangers  of  wealth  in  the  self- 
indulgence  and  indifference  to  the  needs  of  others 
that  so  often  accompany  the  possession.  If  we 
find  the  moral  in  ver,  29,  then  it  is  the  sufficiency 
of  the  Mosaic  Law  and  the  prophets  for  moral 
guidance  that  is  insisted  on.  If  ver.  31  is  the 
most  significant,  it  is  the  insensibility  to  moral 
appeal  which  results  from  the  selfish  use  of  wealth 
that  is  emphasised.  If  ver.  25  be  the  clue,  then 
the  parable  attaches  itself  to  ver.  1 5 ;  the  Divine 
judgment  will  reverse  the  human,  the  beggar  will 
be  blessed,  and  the  exalted  among  men — the  rich 
man — is  shown  to  be  an  abomination  in  the  sight 
of  God.  One  thing  is  certain,  that  Jesus  does 
not  intend  to  describe  the  condition  of  the  future 


St.  Luke  xvi.  19-31  273 

life,  but  uses  the  current  Jewish  notions  about  the 
unseen  world. 

19.  purple.  His  outer  robe  (cf.  Mark  xv.  17,  20). 
fine  linen.  His  undergarment  (Ex.  xxvi.  1,  31, 
36).  Both  stand  for  the  extreme  of  luxury  (cf.  Prov. 
xxxi.  22 ;  Rev.  xviii.  12,  i6).  fared  sumptuously. 
R.V.  marg.,  "living  in  mirth  and  splendour  every- 
day." 

20.  Lazarus.  The  only  character  in  a  parable 
to  whom  a  name  is  given.  The  name  may  be  a 
later  addition  suggested  by  Lazarus  of  Bethany. 
As  ver.  24  shows,  a  name  was  needed  for  the 
telling  of  the  tale,  and  this  name  may  suggest  the 
dependence  of  the  beggar  on  God.  gate.  A 
feature  of  a  large  mansion,  full  of  SOres.  A 
medical  term  ;  "ulcerated." 

21.  desiring  to  be  fed.  This  does  not  imply 
that  he  did  not  get  scraps,  for  had  nothing  ever 
been  given,  he  would  not  have  been  brought  there. 
But  it  does  imply  that  the  rich  man  was  content 
with  giving  what  cost  him  nothing  ;  and  failed  to 
do  what  he  might  easily  have  done  to  deliver 
Lazarus  from  his  "evil  things."  The  23rd  verse 
shows  that  the  rich  man  knew  the  beggar  he  left 
lying  at  his  gate,  the  dogS,  etc.  This  is  no 
alleviation,  but  an  aggravation  of  his  miserable 
condition.  The  dogs  in  the  East  are  not  pets,  but 
pests,     licked.    "  licked  the  surface  of." 

22.  We  are  not  to  suppose  that  the  beggar  was 
not  buried  ;  but  while  the  rich  man's  funeral  was 
the  last  of  his  good  things,  the  first  of  Lazarus' 
good  things  was  his  happy  death.  The  figurative 
language  must  not  be  taken  literally  (cf.  Heb.  i.  4). 
Abraham's  bosom  (cf.  Matt.  viii.  ll  ;  Johni.  18) 
is  not  a  symbol  of  Paradise ;  but  to  recline  with 

i8 


274   Westminster  New  Testament 

the  head  on  Abraham's  breast,  as  at  a  banquet,  is 
to  be  in  Paradise. 

23.  hell.  R.V.,  "Hades."  The  abode  of  the 
dead  included  Paradise  and  Gehenna  (see  on  xii. 
5).  seeth  Abraham.  According  to  Jewish  belief 
Gehenna  and  Paradise  were  near  enough  for  such 
a  view. 

24.  Father  Abraham.  The  rich  man  claims 
the  privilege  of  his  nationality  (cf.  John  viii.  39). 
send  Lazarus.  If  vre  are  to  attach  special  mean- 
ing to  this  detail,  it  indicates  either  that  he  has 
remained  arrogant,  and  thinks  of  Lazarus  as  one 
from  whom  he  can  claim  service,  or  that  he  has 
been  so  humbled  as  to  be  willing  to  be  under  debt 
to  Lazarus,  dip  the  tip.  The  slightest  relief 
will  be  welcomed.  What  a  change  from  faring 
sumptuously ! 

25.  Son.  Gr.  "child."  The  relationship  is  not 
disowned,  but  no  favouritism  can  be  shown.  What 
he  suffers  is  justly  suffered,  receivedest.  In  full. 
His  desires  were  fully  met ;  he  wanted  nothing 
more  than  the  earthly  goods.  Cf.  vi.  24 ;  Matt, 
vi.  2,  5,  16,  thy  good  things.  He  kept  to 
himself  all  that  he  had.  likewise.  R. V.,  "  in  like 
manner."  The  one  accepted  without  gratitude, 
the  other  without  rebellion,  now.  Change  of 
time  and  place  involved  for  the  rich  man  un- 
alleviated  misery,  and  Lazarus  undisturbed  bliss. 
Not  even  a  momentary  change  of  the  permanent 
conditions  is  possible. 

26.  besides  all  this,or  R.V.,"  in  all  these  things." 
Not  only  is  the  request  unreasonable,  but  its  being 
met  is  impossible,  owing  to  the  total  separation  of 
Paradise  and  Gehenna,  a  great  gulf  has  been 
and  remains  fixed.    Of  this  belief  there  is  no  trace 


St.  Luke  xvii.  1-4  275 

in  Jewish  writings,  not  "so  that  they  cannot" 
(result),  but  "in  order  that  they  may  not  be  able" 
(purpose),     neither.    Better,  "nor  yet." 

27.  The  request  suggests  that  he  had  been  in- 
sufficiently warned  of  this  doom.  If  he  had,  he 
might  have  avoided  it.  It  is  fanciful  to  infer  that 
the  request  shows  an  improvement  of  character,  an 
awakening  interest  in  others.  Still  less  waiTant 
is  there  for  assuming  that  this  is  intended  to  teach 
such  a  possibility  generally  in  the  future  life. 

28.  testify.  ''  thoroughly  "  (Acts  ii.  40,  viii.  25, 
X.  42,  xviii.  5,  etc.).  There  may  be  an  allusion  to 
the  Pharisees'  demand  for  a  sign. 

29.  There  is  already  sufficient  guidance  for  those 
willing  to  submit  to  it. 

30.  Nay.  This  does  not  deny  the  value  of 
Moses  and  the  prophets ;  but  asserts  that  some- 
thing more  is  needed,  as  his  own  experience  showed. 
This  rich  man  is  more  influenced  by  physical 
wonders  than  moral  authority. 

31.  hear  not.  "continue  not  to  hear."  per- 
suaded. To  repent.  Jesus  rebukes  the  desire  for 
a  sign  y  showing  that  it  would  also  be  ineffective 
where  moral  authority  had  failed. 


Luke  xvii.  1-4  (of.  Mark  ix.  42 ;  Matt,  xviii.  6,  7,  15, 
21,  22). 

OFFENCES  AND  FORGIVENESS. 

Then  said  he  unto  the  disciples,  It  is  impossible  but  that 
offences  will  come  :  but  woe  unto  him,  through  whom  they 

2  come  !     It  were  better  for  him  that  a  millstone  were  hanged 
about  his  neck,  and  he  cast  into  the  sea,  than  that  he  should 

3  offend  one  of  these  little  ones.     Take  heed  to  yourselves  : 
If  thy  brother  trespass  against  thee,  rebuke  him  ;  and  if  he 


276    Westminster  New  Testament 

4  repent,  forgive  him.  And  if  he  trespass  against  thee  seven 
times  in  a  day,  and  seven  times  in  a  day  turn  again  to  thee, 
saying,  I  repent ;  thou  shalt  forgive  him. 

The  saying  about  offences  is  found  in  Mark  and 
Matthew,  but  in  different  contexts.  In  Mark  it 
follows  John's  confession  regarding  the  rebuke  of 
the  man  who  was  casting  out  devils  in  Jesus'  name ; 
in  Matthew  it  is  part  of  the  teaching  given  in 
connection  with  Jesus'  setting  of  the  child  in  the 
midst.  The  command  to  forgive  is  found  in  a 
different  form  in  the  passage  in  Matthew  which 
prescribes  the  procedure  to  be  adopted  in  con- 
nection with  a  Christian  brother  who  has  done 
wrong.  In  Matthew  Peter  asks  if  an  erring  brother 
is  to  be  forgiven  seven  times,  and  is  answered  with, 
^^  until  seventy  times  seven."  Most  of  this  common 
material  is  derived  from  Q. 

1.  offences.  R.V.,  "occasions  of  stumbling." 
Gr.  "  scandal "  =  "  the  bait-stick  in  a  trap." 

2.  better.  R.V.,  "well."  Lit.,  "it  pays  the 
taxes,  repays  the  outlay"  (Plummer).  these 
little  ones.  Either  children  or  those  "young  in 
faith." 

3.  Take  heed.  May  be  the  conclusion  of  the 
previous  utterance  rather  than  the  introduction  to 
what  follows.  Probably  the  Evangelist  intended 
no  connection  between  the  two  utterances.  We 
may  think  of  the  connection  in  three  ways :  the 
unforgiving  spirit  is  given  as  an  instance  of  the 
occasion  for  stumbling ;  there  may  be  a  contrast 
intended  between  our  severity  to  ourselves  and 
our  tolerance  to  others ;  or  to  the  lesser  duty  of 
doing  no  ill  to  another  may  be  joined  the  greater 
of  forgiving  the  ill  others  do.     rebuke.    Sin  is  not 


St.  Luke  xvii.  5-10  277 

to  be  ignored,  but  rebuked  to  awaken  penitence, 
and  penitence  is  at  once  to  be  followed  by  pardon. 
4.  seven.  The  number  is  used  to  indicate  an 
endless  forgiveness,  saying.  It  is  forced  to  read 
into  the  word  the  meaning  that  the  mere  words 
of  penitence  are  enough. 


Luke  xvii.  5-10  (of.  Mark  xi.  23  ;  Matt.  xvii.  20, 
xxi.  21,  22). 

UNPROFITABLE  SERVANTS. 

5  And  the  apostles  said  unto  the  Lord,  Increase  our  faith. 

6  And  the  Lord  said,  If  ye  had  faith  as  a  grain  of  mustard 
seed,  ye  might  say  unto  this  sycamine  tree.  Be  thou  plucked 
up  by  the  root,  and  be  thou  planted  in  the  sea  ;  and  it 

7  should  obey  you.  But  which  of  you,  having  a  servant 
plowing  or  feeding  cattle,  will  say  unto  him  by  and  by, 
when  he  is  come  from  the  field,  Go  and  sit  down  to  meat  ? 

8  And  will  not  rather  say  unto  him,  Make  ready  wherewith 
I  may  sup,  and  gird  thyself,  and  serve  me,  till  I  have  eaten 
and  drunken  ;   and  afterward   thou   shalt  eat  and   drink  ? 

9  Doth  he  thank  that  servant  because  he  did  the  things  that 
10  were  commanded  him  ?     I  trow  not.     So  likewise  ye,  when 

ye  shall  have  done  all  those  things  which  are  commanded 
you,  say.  We  are  unprofitable  servants  :  we  have  done  that 
which  was  our  duty  to  do. 

Mark  and  Matthew  have  a  similar  saying  about 
the  power  of  faith  in  connection  with  the  cursing 
of  the  fig  tree ;  Matthew  has  also  one  as  part  of 
Jesus'  answer  to  His  disciples'  question  regard- 
ing their  powerlessness  to  cure  the  epileptic  boy. 
Luke  here  probably  intends  no  connection  with 
the  preceding  saying.  The  link  of  thought  might 
be  that  a  forgiving  spirit  such  as  Jesus  demands 


278   Westminster  New  Testament 

would  require  a  far  stronger  faith  than  the  apostles 
were  conscious  of  possessing.  The  saying  about 
the  unprofitable  servant  also  appears  to  have  no 
connection  with  the  saying  about  faith ;  unless 
it  be  that  in  the  apostles'  request  Jesus  detected 
the  suggestion  that  He  was  making  unreasonable 
demands  on  His  followers,  and  thus  rebukes  the 
complaint  by  asserting  His  unlimited  claim. 

5.  increase.  Literally,  "  give  us  faith  in  ad- 
dition." 

6.  grain,  etc.  See  on  xiii.  19-  If  there  be  faith 
at  all,  it  can,  without  any  addition  such  as  is  asked 
for,  accomplish  what  seems  humanly  impossible. 
sycamine  (possibly  the  same  tree  as  the  syca- 
more in  xix.  4).  The  mulbeiTy  tree.  Mark  and 
Matthew  have  in  similar  sayings  "mountain." 

7.  which.  This  cannot  be  addressed  to  the 
disciples,  who  were  poor  men,  but  to  such  in  his 
audience  as  had  slaves.  This  makes  it  less  probable 
that  there  is  any  connection  with  the  preceding 
saying,  by  and  by.  Better,  "  straightway,"  and 
connect,  as  R.  V.,  with  "  come  "  (A.V., "  go  ").  There 
is  a  contrast  with  afterward  in  the  next  verse. 

9.  I  trow  not.  Omitted  in  R.V.  after  good 
authorities. 

10.  when,  etc.  "a  purely  hypothetical  case." 
The  sole  point  of  the  saying  is  that  men  have  no 
claim  against  God  for  having  done  more  than  their 
duty.  This  condemns  the  doctrine  of  works  of 
supererogation. 


St.  Luke  xvii.  11-19         279 


(C)  The  Third  Section  (Luke  xvii.  1 1- 
xviii.  14). 

Luke  xvii.  11-19. 
THE  TEN  LEPERS. 

11  And   it   came  to  pass,  as  he  went  to  Jerusalem,  that  he 

12  passed  through  the  midst  of  Samaria  and  Galilee.     And  as 
he  entered  into  a  certain  village,  there  met  him  ten  men 

13  that  were  lepers,  which  stood  afar  off:  and  they  lifted  up 
their  voices,  and  said,  Jesus,  Master,  have  mercy  on  us. 

14  And  when  he   saw   them,  he  said  unto   them,    Go   shew 
yourselves  unto  the  priests.     And  it  came  to  pass,   that, 

15  as   they  went,   they  were   cleansed.     And   one   of  them, 
when  he  saw  that  he  was  healed,  turned  back,  and  with  a 

16  loud  voice  glorified  God,  and  fell  down  on  his  face  at  his 

17  feet,  giving  him  thanks  :  and  he  was  a  Samaritan.     And 
Jesus  answering  said.  Were  there  not  ten  cleansed?   but 

18  where  are  the  nine?     There  are  not  found  that  returned  to 

19  give  glory  to  God,  save  this  stranger.     And  he  said  unto 
him,  Arise,  go  thy  way  :  thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole. 

This  narrative  is  peculiar  to  Luke,  and  is  char- 
acteristic. It  shows  his  pecuUar  interest  in  the 
Samaritans  (see  Introduction,  p.  26).  It  is  doubt- 
ful whether  ver.  1  is  intended  to  indicate  the 
beginning  of  a  third  journey  to  Jerusalem,  or  only 
the  third  stage  of  the  last  journey  (see  Introduc- 
tion, p.  23). 

11.  through  the  midst.  R.V.  marg.,  "be- 
tween." The  A.V.  rendering  would  mean  that 
Jesus  was  passing  through  Samaria  and  Galilee 
away  from  Jerusalem.  What  the  R.V.  means  is 
that  He  was  going  along  the  border  of  the  two 
districts,  where  He  would  be  more  likely  to  meet 


28o   Westminster  New  Testament 

a  mixed  company  of  lepers,  drawn  together  by 
their  common  misery  in  spite  of  their  racial  pre- 
judice. 

12.  afar  off.  In  accordance  with  the  Law  (Lev. 
xiii.  45,  46 ;  Nmn.  v.  2).     See  on  v.  12. 

14.  when,  "as  soon  as."  He  had  not  observed 
them  till  He  heard  their  cry.  Go.  This  shows 
His  certainty  of  having  effected  their  cure.  priestS. 
The  Samaritans  had  their  own  priesthood,  and  kept 
the  Law.  went.  Their  obedience  showed  the  faith 
which  was  the  condition  of  Jesus'  exercise  of  His 
power. 

15.  when.  As  soon  as  he  made  the  discovery 
for  himself,  and  not  after  the  priest  had  declared 
him  clean.  Jesus'  rebuke  implies  that  he  left  his 
companions  to  come  to  Jesus,  while  they  went 
their  way,  unmoved  by  any  such  impulse  of  gratitude. 
loud  voice.  Either  in  his  excitement,  or  because 
not  having  been  pronounced  clean,  he  still  kept 
"afar  off." 

17.  answering.  Not  the  Samaritan,  but  the 
bystanders,  commenting  on  the  incident.  The 
series  of  questions  implies  surprise,  and  that  in- 
volves limitation  of  knowledge. 

1 8.  R.  V.  has  this  also  as  an  interrogative  sentence, 
"  Were  there  more,"  etc.  stranger.  R.V.  margin, 
"  alien,"  a  word  frequent  in  LXX,  and  used  for  the 
heathen.  The  Samaritans  were  a  mixed  race, 
Israelite  and  pagan  (see  2  Kings  xvii.  24).  But 
Jesus  may  not  have  been  referring  to  this  fact  in 
his  use  of  the  word,  but  may  have  been  rebuking 
Jewish  exclusiveness  which  reckoned  the  Samaritans 
with  the  heathen. 

19.  thy  faith.  The  condition  of  his  cure.  Pos- 
sibly the  greater  good  of  gratitude  is  implied  in 


St.  Luke  xvii.  20-37  ^^' 

the    blessing  assured   to  him  in  distinction   from 
the  others. 

Luke  xvii.  20-37  (cf-  Mark  xiii.  15,  16,  21,  viii.  35; 
Matt.  xxiv.  17,  18,  23,  27,  28,  37-39»  4h  x.  39, 
xvi.  25). 

THE  COMING  OF  THE  SON  OF  MAN. 

20  And  when  he  was  demanded  of  the  Pharisees,  when  the 
kingdom  of  God  should  come,  he  answered  them  and  said, 

21  The  kingdom  of  God  cometh  not  with  observation  :  neither 
shall   they  say,  Lo  here  !   or,  lo   there  !   for,  behold,  the 

22  kingdom  of  God  is  within  you.  And  he  said  unto  the 
disciples.  The  days  will  come,  when  ye  shall  desire  to  see 
one  of  the  days  of  the  Son  of  man,  and  ye  shall  not  see  it. 

23  And  they  shall  say  to  you,  See  here  ;  or,  see  there  :  go  not 

24  after  them,  nor  follow  them.  For  as  the  Ughtning,  that 
lighteneth  out  of  the  one  part  under  heaven,  shineth  unto 
the  other  part  under  heaven  ;  so  shall  also  the  Son  of  man 

25  be  in  his  day.     But  first  must  he  suffer  many  things,  and  be 

26  rejected  of  this  generation.  And  as  it  was  in  the  days  of 
Noe,  so  shall  it  be  also  in  the  days  of  the  Son  of  man. 

27  They  did  eat,  they  drank,  they  married  wives,  they  were 
given  in  marriage,  until  the  day  that  Noe  entered  into  the 

28  ark,  and  the  flood  came,  and  destroyed  them  all.  Like- 
wise also  as  it  was  in  the  days  of  Lot ;  they  did  eat,  they 
drank,  they  bought,  they  sold,  they  planted,  they  builded  ; 

29  but  the  same  day  that  Lot  went  out  of  Sodom  it  rained  fire 

30  and  brimstone  from  heaven,  and  destroyed  them  all.  Even 
thus  shall  it  be  in  the  day  when  the  Son  of  man  is  revealed. 

31  In  that  day,  he  which  shall  be  upon  the  housetop,  and  his 
stuff  in  the  house,  let  him  not  come  down  to  take  it  away  : 
and  he  that  is  in  the  field,  let  him  likewise  not  return  back. 

32  33  Remember  Lot's  wife.  Whosoever  shall  seek  to  save 
his  life  shall  lose  it ;  and  whosoever  shall  lose  his  life  shall 

34  preserve  it.  I  tell  you,  in  that  night  there  shall  be  two 
men  in  one  bed;  the  one  shall  be  taken,  and  the  other 


282   Westminster  New  Testament 

35  shall  be  left.     Two  women  shall  be  grinding  together ;  the 

36  one  shall  be  taken,  and  the  other  left.  Two  men  shall  be 
in  the  field  ;   the  one  shall  be  taken,  and  the  other  left. 

37  And  they  answered  and  said  unto  him,  Where,  Lord? 
And  he  said  unto  them,  Wheresoever  the  body  is,  thither 
wall  the  eagles  be  gathered  together. 

While  the  introductory  verses  (20-22)  are  peculiar 
to  Luke,  as  also  the  allusion  to  Lot  (28,  29,  32), 
and  there  are  some  parallels  in  Mark,  yet  the 
greater  part  of  the  discourse  is  derived  from  Q,  and 
is  also  found  in  Matthew,  mainly  in  the  eschato- 
logical  discourse  at  the  close  of  the  ministry  in 
Jerusalem. 

20.  The  question  seems  to  have  been  asked  in 
good  faith,  observation.  The  word  is  used  by 
medical  writers  of  the  physicians  watching  the 
symptoms  of  disease  (Hobart).  "  It  implies  close 
rather  than  sinister  watching"  (Plummer).  The 
A.V.  marg.,  "  with  outward  shew,"  is  a  mistake. 

21.  neither,  etc.  Cf.  ver.  23.  There  will  be 
no  good  reason  for  saying,  within  yoU.  Or  R.V. 
marg.,  ^'in  the  midst  of  you."  As  the  Pharisees 
are  addressed,  it  is  not  likely  that  Jesus  would  tell 
them  that  the  Kingdom  was  within  them ;  but 
it  is  possible  that  He  was  affirming  the  general 
principle  of  the  inwardness  of  the  Kingdom  without 
particular  reference  to  those  whom  He  was  address- 
ing. On  the  other  hand,  while  the  meaning  of  the 
word  "in  the  midst  of  you"  is  not  found  in  the 
Scriptures,  though  classical,  it  gives  a  good  sense. 
Unperceived  by  the  Pharisees,  the  Kingdom  was 
already  present  in  Jesus  and  the  company  He 
had  gathered.  The  context  favours  this  second 
rendering. 


St.  Luke  xvii.  20--37  283 

22.  If  what  follows  belongs  to  the  same  occasion^ 
then  Jesus  turns  from  the  Pharisees  to  teach  the 
disciples  that  while  the  Kingdom  itself  comes 
without  observation,  of  His  Second  Coming  there 
will  be  signs,  which,  however,  only  the  discerning 
will  perceive,  the  days.  The  Gr.  is  "days" 
without  the  article  (cf.  v.  35,  xxi.  6).  one. 
Possibly  a  Hebraism  for  "  first "  (cf.  Mark  xvi.  2). 
the  days  of  the  Son  of  man.  Not  as  in  Matt.  ix. 
15  and  Mark  ii.  20,  the  past  earthly  life,  but  the 
future  heavenly  Second  Coming.  The  event  so 
desired  will  be  delayed.  Here  Jesus  does  not 
anticipate  or  promise  an  immediate  return. 

23.  Warning  against  false  predictions  due  to 
wrong  understanding  of  the  signs  of  the  times. 
go  not  after.  Do  not  leave  your  usual  calling. 
follow.  Do  not  accept  such  prophets  as  leaders. 

24.  The  manifestation  will  be  sudden,  and  so 
unpredicted,  and  universal,  and  so  unmistakable. 

25.  The  Passion  must  come  before  His  exaltation. 

26.  The  unpreparedness  of  mankind  for  the 
Second  Advent  is  described. 

27.  The  material  and  sensuous  absorbed  all 
interest ;  there  was  no  thought  of  higher  things. 

28.  29.  Peculiar  to  Luke.  Cf  Gen.  xix.  and 
2  Pet.  ii.  5,  6.  For  it  rained,  render  "the  Lord 
rained  "  (Gen.  xix.  24). 

30.  revealed.  The  Greek  is  the  technical  word 
for  the  unfolding  of  God's  hidden  purpose.  It  is 
the  root  of  our  word  "  Apocalypse." 

31.  These  words  in  Matt.  xxiv.  17,  18,  and  Mark 
xiii.  15,  are  a  definite  direction  in  connection  with 
the  disciples'  flight  from  Jerusalem  before  its  de- 
struction. Luke  here  gives  them  a  general  sense ; 
the  disciple   to  be   ready  for  the  Second  Advent 


284   Westminster  New  Testament 

must  cultivate  the  spirit  of  detachment  from  all 
earthly  interests.  If  he  cares  for  none  of  these 
things  he  will  have  nothing  to  lose,  and  all  to 
gain. 

32.  Cf.  Gen.  xix.  26.  An  instance  of  the  peril  of 
divided  interest,  distracted  affection.  The  Christian 
who  thinks  of  his  property  at  the  Second  Advent, 
and  not  solely  of  his  returning  Lord,  is  not  worthy 
of  the  Kingdom. 

33.  This  saying  is  found  in  Matt.  xvi.  25  and 
Mark  viii.  35,  in  connection  with  Jesus'  first  pre- 
diction of  His  Passion  after  the  confession  at 
Caesarea  Philippi.  save.  Better  reading  R.V., 
"gain  "  (cf.  Acts  xx.  28  ;  1  Tim.  iii.  13).  The  A. V. 
reading  comes  from  ix.  24.  preserve.  Gr.  "  save 
it  alive"  (cf.  Acts  vii.  19;  1  Tim.  vi.  13,  R.V. 
marg.). 

34.  35.  Instances  of  close  earthly  relationships 
to  show  that  these  do  not  offer  any  assurance 
against  final  separation  in  the  judgment. 

34.  night.  A  detail  of  the  picture,  not  an  in- 
dication of  the  actual  time  of  the  Second  Advent, 
taken  from,  left  to  destruction  ;  or  taken  into,  left 
out  of  the  Kingdom. 

35.  grinding  together.  A  day  occupation. 
Jesus  uses  a  figure  from  night  and  from  day  to 
suggest  the  uncertainty '  of  the  exact  time  of  the 
Second  Advent. 

36.  This  verse  is  left  out  in  R.V.,  and  has 
probably  slipped  in  here  from  Matt.  xxiv.  40. 

37.  Where.  In  ver.  24  Jesus  asserted  a  uni- 
versal, and  not  local  manifestation.  It  was  a  false 
question  asked  in  a  wrong  spirit,  and  so  is  answered 
by  Jesus  in  a  mysterious  saying,  which  may  have 
been  a  current  proverb.     Judgment  will  fall  where 


St.  Luke  xviii.  i-8  285 

it  is  deserved.  Not  time  or  place,  but  fitness  or 
unfitness,  is  what  each  man  should  be  concerned 
about,  eagles.  R.V.  marg.,  '^vultures"  (the 
griffon,  as  in  Mic.  i.  l6).  "Eagles  neither  fly 
in  flocks  nor  feed  on  carrion"  (Plummer).  The 
patristic  interpretation,  "  that  the  saints  will  gather 
around  Christ,"  is  altogether  out  of  place.  The 
saying  is  clearly  a  warning  of  judgment,  and  only 
for  such  could  the  imagery  used  be  regarded  as 
appropriate. 

Luke  xviii.  i-8. 
THE  UNJUST  JUDGE. 

And  he  spake  a  parable  unto  them  to  this  end,  that  men 

2  ought  always  to  pray,  and  not  to  faint ;  saying,  There  was 
in  a  city  a  judge,  which  feared  not  God,  neither  regarded 

3  man  :  and  there  was  a  widow  in  that  city ;  and  she  came 

4  unto  him,  saying,  Avenge  me  of  mine  adversary.  And  he 
would  not  for  a  while :  but  afterward  he  said  within  him- 

5  self,  Though  I  fear  not  God,  nor  regard  man ;  yet  because 
this  widow  troubleth  me,  I  will  avenge  her,  lest  by  her 

6  continual  coming  she  weary  me.     And  the  Lord  said.  Hear 

7  what  the  unjust  judge  saith.  And  shall  not  God  avenge 
his  own  elect,  which  cry  day  and  night  unto  him,  though  he 

8  bear  long  with  them  ?  I  tell  you  that  he  will  avenge  them 
speedily.  Nevertheless,  when  the  Son  of  man  cometh, 
shall  he  find  faith  on  the  earth  ? 

This  and  the  following  parable  are  peculiar  to, 
and  characteristic  of  Luke,  with  his  strong  belief  in 
the  efficacy  of  prayer  and  his  keen  sympathy  with 
the  outcasts  of  Jewish  society.  The  connection  of 
thought  between  this  parable  and  the  preceding 
discourse  seems  to  be  that,  though  the  Second 
Coming  will  not  be  as  soon  as  desired,  and  will  be 


286   Westminster  New  Testament 

unexpected,  disciples  are  to   keep  on  praying  for 
their  deliverance. 

1.  Only  here  and  in  ver.  9  does  the  Evangelist 
introduce  a  parable  by  stating  clearly  Jesus'  in- 
tention in  uttering  it.  always  (cf.  1  Thess.  v.  17). 
The  Jewish  teachers  forbade  more  than  three 
prayers  a  day,  as  God  must  not  be  wearied  by  man's 
importunity. 

2.  judge.  Probably  a  Gentile  official,  as  a  Jew 
would  show  some  regard  to  the  law  of  God  (see  the 
contrast  to  the  judge's  attitude  in  2  Cor.  viii.  21). 

3.  widow.  A  type  of  helplessness ;  no  man  to 
compel,  and  no  money  to  purchase  respect  for  her 
rights.  The  O.T.  shows  a  special  care  for  this  class 
(Ex.  xxii.  22 ;  Deut.  x.  1 8  ;  Job  xxii.  9 ;  Jer.  xxii. 
3;  Ezek.  xxii.  7).  came.  R.V.,  "came oft,"  "con- 
tinued coming."     Avenge.    Not  inflict  penalty  on, 

but  protect  me  from  the  attacks  of.    mine  ad- 
versary. One  inflicting  some  wrong. 

4.  would  not.    Was  not  willing. 

5.  troubleth  me.  His  impatience,  not  his  duty, 
moved  him  to  action,  weary  me.  R.V.,  "  wear  me 
out";  Gr.  "bruise";  lit.,  "hit  under  the  eye," 
^^give  a  black  eye."  It  is  not  likely  that  the  judge 
was  afraid  that  the  woman  would  commit  an  assault, 
but  he  dreaded  the  constant  annoyance. 

6.  Lord  (see  on  v.  17,  vii.  13)  said.  Probably 
after  a  pause  to  let  the  people  think  over  the 
parable. 

7.  It  is  a  question  that  expects  an  affirmative 
answer.  This  is  what  is  called  an  a  fortiori  argu- 
ment. "  If  an  unjust  judge  would  i/ield  to  the  impor- 
tunity of  an  unknown  widow,  who  came  and  spoke  to 
him  at  intervals,  how  much  more  will  s,  ju^t  God  be 
ready  to  reward  the  perseverance  of  His  orvn  elect, 


St.  Luke  xviii.  9-14         287 

who  cry  to  Him  day  and  night  ?  "  (Plummer).  The 
force  of  the  argument  lies  not  in  God's  resemblance 
to,  but  His  difference  from,  the  unjust  judge.  The 
point  of  comparison  is  that  importunity  prevails 
with  God  and  man.  though  he  bear  long  with 
them.  R.V.,  ^^and  He  is  longsuffering  over  them." 
One  meaning  may  be,  God  is  not  impatient  with 
the  importunity  of  His  elect,  as  was  the  unjust 
judge  with  the  widow.  Or  if  them  refers  not  to 
the  elect,  but  their  enemies,  then  His  delay  to 
answer  the  prayers  of  the  saints  is  explained  as  due 
to  His  patience  with  sinners.  The  most  probable 
meaning  is,  that  God  will  certainly  fulfil  prayer, 
even  though  for  His  own  reasons  He  delays  the 
answer. 

8.  speedily.  If  not  in  man's,  yet  in  His  own  wiser 
judgment.  "  Suddenly  "  is  a  less  probable  rendering. 
Nevertheless.  Although  God's  action  is  certain, 
yet  man's  faith  is  doubtful,  faith.  Gr.  ^^the  faith," 
either  in  Jesus'  Messiahship,  or  that  perseveres  in 
prayer.  Absorbed  in  the  earthly  life  (see  on  xvii. 
27)  most  men  will  be  exercising  no  faith. 


Luke  xviii.  9-14. 

THE  PHARISEE  AND  THE  PUBLICAN. 

9  And  he  spake  this  parable  unto  certain  which  trusted  in 
themselves  that  they  were  righteous,  and  despised  others  : 

10  Two  men  went  up  into  the  temple  to  pray  ;  the  one  a 

11  Pharisee,  and  the  other  a  publican.  The  Pharisee  stood 
and  prayed  thus  with  himself,  God,  I  thank  thee,  that  I  am 
not  as  other  men  are,  extortioners,  unjust,  adulterers,  or 

12  even  as  this  publican.     I  fast  twice  in  the  week,  I  give 

13  tithes  of  all  that  I  possess.  And  the  publican,  standing 
afar  off,  would  not  lift  up  so  much  as  his  eyes  unto  heaven, 


288   Westminster  New  Testament 

but  smote  upon  his  breast,  saying,  God  be  merciful  to  me  a 
14  sinner.  I  tell  you,  this  man  went  down  to  his  house  justified 
rather  than  the  other :  for  every  one  that  exalteth  himself 
shall  be  abased ;  and  he  that  humbleth  himself  shall  be 
exalted. 

By  his  preface  (ver.  9)  Luke  indicates  that  this 
parable  was  addressed  to  another  audience  than  the 
preceding  one.  The  link  of  connection  is  that  both 
treat  of  prayer,  and,  even  if  Luke  did  not  intend 
to  convey  the  lesson,  this  parable  supplements  the 
other  in  teaching  that  prayer,  though  importunate, 
must  not  be  arrogant,  but  should  be  humble. 

9.  in.  Gr.  ^^on."  Their  own  judgment  of  them- 
selves was  the  foundation  of  their  confidence  in 
themselves,  despised.  R.V.,  "set  at  nought," 
"treated  as  of  no  account."  others.  R.V.,  "all 
others  "  ;  Gr.  "  the  rest." 

10.  went  up.  To  Mount  Moriah  from  the  lower 
city. 

11.  stood.  Probably  in  a  place  or  a  posture  to 
attract  attention  (cf  Matt.  vi.  5).  prayed.  There 
was  no  petition  or  intercession,  but  only  self-con- 
gratulation and  censure  of  others.  aS  Other.  The 
R.V.  better,  "the  rest  of  men."  He  reckoned 
himself  alone  as  righteous.  While  possibly  guiltless 
of  the  sins  he  mentioned,  he  ignored  other  sins  of 
which  he  was  not  blameless,  and  was  unjust  in 
charging  all  other  men  with  these  sins. 

12.  twice.  On  Mondays  and  Thursdays,  the  Phar- 
isaic practice,  for  the  Law  enjoined  fasting  only  once 
a  year,  on  the  Day  of  Atonement,  all.  The  Law 
(Num.  xviii.  21  ;  Deut.  xiv.  22)  did  not  tithe  small 
garden  herbs  (cf.  Matt,  xxiii.  23).  possesS.  R.V., 
"  get "  ;  income,  not  capital,  is  meant.     Cf.  Matt.  x. 


St.  Luke  xviii.  15-xxi.  38     289 

14,  xxiii.  23,  for  the  things  of  which  the  Pharisees 
made  boast. 

13.  afar  off.  At  a  distance  from  the  Pharisee, 
whom  the  pubHcan  would  regard  as  so  righteous 
that  he  did  not  feel  himself  worthy  to  come  near 
him.  Both  must  have  been  in  the  Court  of  Israel. 
eyes.  Not  contrasted  with  hands  or  face,  but  the 
downward  look  expressed  humility,  as  the  smiting 
of  his  breast  penitence,  be  merciful,  "be  pro- 
pitiated" (Dan.  ix.  19).  Not  a  sinner,  but  '^the 
sinner."  He  too  counts  himself  alone  in  his  sin,  but 
there  is  no  judgment  of  others  (cf.  1  Tim.  i.  15). 

14.  tell.  R.V.,"say."  Jesus  speaks  with  authority 
as  knowing  both  man's  state  and  God's  judgment 
of  it.  justified.  "  reckoned  by  God  as  righteous  " 
(cf  vii.  35,  X.  29,  xvi.  15).  rather  than.  This 
suggests  no  doubt  of  the  publican's  forgiveness,  but 
holds  out  hope  of  forgiveness  to  the  Pharisee.  The 
certainty  in  the  one  case  is  left  a  possibility  in  the 
other,  for.  The  statement  that  follows  is  also 
given  in  xiv.  11,  as  the  conclusion  of  the  saying 
about  the  chief  guests  at  feasts.  We  need  not 
debate  in  which  context  the  saying  was  uttered,  as 
such  a  saying  may  have  been  repeated  on  different 
occasions. 

V.  THE  CLOSE  OF  THE  PUBLIC  MINISTRY 

(Luke  xviii.  15-xxi.  38). 

At  this  point  Luke  returns  to  the  common 
Synoptic  tradition.  While  he  introduces  here  and 
there  matter  peculiar  to  himself,  or  matter  drawn 
from  Q,  the  source  common  to  himself  and 
Matthew,  he  for  the  most  part  now  follows  Mark's 
guidance  in  the  order  of  events. 

19 


290   Westminster  New  Testament 

Luke  xviii.  15-17  (  =  Mark  x.  13-16= Matt.  xix.  13-15). 
THE  WELCOME  OF  THE  CHILDREN. 

15  And  they  brought  unto  him  also  infants,  that  he  would 
touch  them  :  but  when  his  disciples  saw  it,  they  rebuked 

16  them.  But  Jesus  called  them  unto  him,  and  said,  Suffer 
little  children  to  come  unto  me,  and  forbid  them  not :  for 

17  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  God.  Verily  I  say  unto  you, 
Whosoever  shall  not  receive  the  kingdom  of  God  as  a  little 
child  shall  in  no  wise  enter  therein. 

The  three  EvangeHsts  in  this  narrative  almost 
verbally  agree  ;  the  differences  are  of  the  slightest. 

15.  infants.  R.V.,  '^  babes/'  a  more  accurate 
rendering  of  Luke's  word.  tOUCh  them.  Matthew 
explains  this  "that  He  should  lay  His  hands  on 
them,  and  pray  " — that  is,  give  them  His  blessing. 
rebuked.  Not  because  they  despised  the  children, 
but  because  they  exalted  Jesus  as  too  great  to 
have  His  time  claimed  by  them. 

16.  called.  The  children  or  their  mothers. 
and  said.  To  the  disciples,  such.  The  childlike 
disposition  fits  for  the  Kingdom. 

17.  While  Mark  gives  the  saying  in  the  same 
setting,  Matthew  gives  a  similar  saying  (xviii.  3)  on 
the  occasion  when  Jesus  sets  a  child  before  the 
disciples  as  an  example  of  humility.  These  two 
sayings  conjoined  show  clearly  Jesus'  estimate  of 
childhood  as  possessing  the  dispositions  required 
by  the  Kingdom,  and  are  full  of  encouragement 
for  the  parents  and  teachers  of  children  as  an 
assurance  that  the  children  may  from  their  earliest 
years  be  within  the  Kingdom.  But  the  incident 
which  follows  suggests  that  such  youthful  piety 
needs  to  be    confirmed    in    a  conscious,  voluntary 


St.  Luke  xviii.  18-30         291 

decision  for  the    Kingdom  when   adult  years   are 
reached. 


Luke  xviii.  18-30  (  =  Mark  x.  17-30  =  Matt.  xix.  16-29). 
THE  RICH  YOUNG  RULER. 

18  And  a  certain  ruler  asked  him,  saying,  Good  Master,  what 

19  shall  I  do  to  inherit  eternal  life  ?  And  Jesus  said  unto  him, 
Why  callest  thou  me  good  ?  none  is  good,  save  one,  that  is, 

20  God.  Thou  knowest  the  commandments,  Do  not  commit 
adultery,  Do  not  kill,  Do  not  steal,  Do  not   bear  false 

21  witness.  Honour  thy  father  and  thy  mother.     And  he  said, 

22  All  these  have  I  kept  from  my  youth  up.  Now  when 
Jesus  heard  these  things,  he  said  unto  him,  Yet  lackest 
thou  one  thing  :  sell  all  that  thou  hast,  and  distribute  unto 
the  poor,  and  thou   shalt   have  treasure  in  heaven :   and 

23  come,  follow  me.     And  when  he  heard  this,  he  was  very 

24  sorrowful :  for  he  was  very  rich.  And  when  Jesus  saw 
that  he  was  very  sorrowful,  he  said,  How  hardly  shall  they 

25  that  have  riches  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God  !  For  it 
is  easier  for  a  camel  to  go  through  a  needle's  eye,  than  for 

26  a  rich  man  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God.     And  they 

27  that  heard  it  said,  Who  then  can  be  saved  ?  And  he  said, 
The  things  which  are   impossible  with   men   are  possible 

28  with  God.     Then  Peter   said,  Lo,  we  have   left  all,  and 

29  followed  thee.  And  he  said  unto  them.  Verily  I  say  unto 
you,  There  is  no  man  that  hath  left  house,  or  parents,  or 
brethren,  or  wife,  or  children,  for  the  kingdom  of  God's 

30  sake,  who  shall  not  receive  manifold  more  in  this  present 
time,  and  in  the  world  to  come  life  everlasting. 

This  narrative  is  found  with  very  slight  variations 
in  the  three  Synoptists,  and  Luke  here  follows  Mark 
veiy  closely.  The  young  man  desiring  eternal  life 
is  in  disposition — his  attachment  to  his  wealth — 
unfit  for  it,  and  the  sincerity  of  his  desire  is  put 


292   Westminster  New  Testament 

to  a  severe  test.  We  must  not  assume,  as  is 
common,  that  he  did  make  "the  great  refusal/' 
even  although  he  was  not  able  to  meet  the  test 
at  once, 

18.  ruler.  Luke  alone  so  describes  the 
questioner,  and  it  is  not  easy  to  understand  just 
what  he  means.  As  Matthew  calls  the  applicant 
a  young  man  (vers.  20-22)  it  is  unlikely  that  he 
was  a  member  of  the  Sanhedrin,  or  the  chief 
officer  of  a  synagogue,  do.  He  thought  of  some 
action  of  so  great  merit  as  to  deserve  this  reward, 
eternal  life.  This  is  the  characteristic  phrase  in 
the  Fourth  Gospel  corresponding  to  the  Synoptic 
Kingdom  of  God  (see  ver.  24  below). 

19-  W^hy,  etc.  This  is  undoubtedly  the  original 
form  of  the  question,  which  Matthew,  because  of 
its  difficulty,  the  suggestion  it  conveys  that  Jesus 
disclaimed  being  good,  has  paraphrased  in  the 
commonplace,  "Why  askest  thou  Me  concerning 
that  which  is  good  ?  "  none  is  gOod,  etc.  This 
is  not  a  confession  of  sinfulness,  on  the  one  hand  ; 
nor  is  it  merely  a  refusal  of  a  compliment  from  the 
young  man,  because  he  did  not  know  its  full  import, 
on  the  other  hand.  It  was  because  Jesus  had  not 
yet  fulfilled  His  calling,  and  was  still  conscious  of 
being  tempted  to  shrink  from  the  Cross,  that  in 
humility  He  refused  to  claim  the  perfection  that 
belonged  to  His  Father,  on  which  He  was  conscious 
of  being  Himself  dependent  (cf.  John  v.  19-30). 
He  was  still  in  the  conflict,  and  not  yet  the 
victor,  and  His  strength  came  to  Him  from  His 
Father. 

20.  This  reference  asserts  the  sufficiency  of  the 
Law  for  moral  guidance  (cf.  xvi.  29),  and  rebukes 
the  false  conception  of  works  of  supererogation — 


St.  Luke  xviii.  18-30         293 

that   is,   beyond    the   Law's   reqmrements,    as   of 
special  merit. 

21.  The  reply  is  neither  insincere  nor  boastful, 
but  shows  how  superficial  was  his  reading  of  the 
requirement  of  the  Law,  a  contrast  to  the  keener 
insight  of  the  young  Pharisee  Paul  (Rom.  vii. 
7-25). 

22.  Now  when  Jesus  heard  these  things. 
Mark  has  "  And  Jesus  looking  upon  him  loved 
him,"  the  touch  of  an  eye-witness.  Jesus  so 
esteemed  the  young  man  that  He  was  desirous  of 
having  him  as  one  of  His  constant  companions 
(ver.  20).  Yet  lackest  thou,  etc.  Jesus  accepts 
his  assurance  of  observance  of  the  commandments, 
but  affirms  that  one  condition  of  fitness  for  the 
highest  blessing  has  yet  to  be  fulfilled,  and  this 
condition  is  negative,  as  detachment  from  his 
wealth  so  complete  as  to  make  him  capable  of 
the  surrender  of  it  all  in  charity ;  and  positive, 
as  attachment  to  Jesus  so  complete  also  as  to 
prompt  a  constant  companionship.  The  demand 
was  not  made  by  Jesus  of  all  His  disciples ;  but  it 
is  not  to  be  explained  away.  It  was  necessary  for 
this  man  to  be  rescued  from  his  entanglement  in 
his  wealth ;  possibly  Jesus  could  not  accept  the 
man  as  a  companion  with  his  wealth,  as  that 
might  have  exposed  Him  to  the  reproach  of  His 
enemies  that  it  was  the  disciple's  wealth  He 
sought. 

23.  very  sorrowful.  R.V.,  "  exceeding  sorrow- 
ful." Mark  has  again  the  vivid  picture,  "\\\^ 
countenance  fell."  very  rich.  A  kindly  explana- 
tion ;  the  more  to  part  from,  the  harder  the  parting. 
But  just  the  difficulty  of  the  surrender  showed  the 
necessity  of  the  test  imposed. 


294   Westminster  New  Testament 

24.  Mark  records  the  young  ruler  s  departure, 
and  so  the  saying  was  addressed  to  the  disciples ; 
the  warning  may  have  been  especially  intended 
for  Judas.  Mark  too  reports  the  astonishment  of 
the  disciples  at  the  saying. 

25.  Jesus  uses  a  hyperbolic  figure  to  express  the 
humanly  impossible,  and  it  shows  a  misunderstand- 
ing of  His  intention  to  make  it  less  improbable  by 
substituting  "cable"  for  "camel"  (the  Greek 
words  differ  by  two  letters  only,  kamilon  and 
kamelos),  or  making  the  needle's  eye  mean  "a 
narrow  gateway  for  foot-passengers."  The  Talmud 
has  twice  the  saying,  "  an  elephant  passing  through 
the  eye  of  a  needle,"  to  express  the  impossible. 

26.  Who.  As  all  desire,  if  they  do  not  possess, 
riches,  the  saying  seems  to  make  salvation  impos- 
sible to  all. 

27.  Divine  grace  can  work  miracles  impossible 
to  human  will. 

28.  Peter  does  not  speak  boastfully,  but  seeks 
Jesus'  assurance  that  God  has  indeed  wrought  this 
wonderful  change  in  them. 

29.  no  man.  Jesus  offers  no  exclusive  privilege 
to  the  disciples.  He  assures  a  universal  blessing  to 
all  who  fulfil  the  condition. 

30.  manifold.  Mark  has  "a  hundredfold." 
in  this  present  time  (cf.  Rom.  iii.  26,  viii.  18 ; 
Heb.  ix.  9).  Contrasted  with  the  world  (R.V. 
marg.,  "age")  to  COme  (cf  Eph.  i.  21,  ii.  7  ;  Heb. 
vi.  5).  There  are  present  as  well  as  future  com- 
pensations for  surrender  to  the  Kingdom,  not  to  be 
expected  with  prosaic  literalness,  but  proving  real 
and  satisfying;  e.g.,  "the  communion  of  saints" 
takes  the  place  of  family  relationships. 


St.  Luke  xviii.  31-34         295 


Luke  xviii.  31-34  {  =  Mark  x.  32-34  =  Matt.  xx.  17-19). 

THE  THIRD  ANNOUNCEMENT  OF 
THE  PASSION. 

31  Then  he  took  unto  him  the  twelve,  and  said  unto  them, 
Behold,  we  go  up  to  Jerusalem,  and  all  things  that  are 
written  by  the  prophets  concerning  the  Son  of  man  shall 

32  be  accomplished.  For  he  shall  be  delivered  unto  the 
Gentiles,  and  shall  be   mocked,  and  spitefully  entreated, 

33  and  spitted  on  :  and  they  shall  scourge  him,  and  put  him 

34  to  death,  and  the  third  day  he  shall  rise  again.  And  they 
understood  none  of  these  things :  and  this  saying  was  hid 
from  them,  neither  knew  they  the  things  which  were 
spoken. 

The  first  announcement  followed  the  Confession 
at  Csesarea  Philippi,  the  second  the  Transfiguration, 
and  this  third  possibly  after  the  raising  of  Lazarus 
(John  xi.).  Mark  introduces  this  announcement 
with  a  graphic  description  of  the  situation,  "  And 
they  were  in  the  M^ay,  going  up  to  Jerusalem ;  and 
Jesus  was  going  before  them :  and  they  were 
amazed ;  and  they  that  followed  were  afraid " 
(x.  32).  Jesus,  absorbed  in  the  contemplation  of 
His  Passion,  walks  alone,  followed  by  the  Twelve 
and  other  disciples,  overawed  by  His  bearing  and 
look.  Calling  the  Twelve  apart  from  the  larger 
company.  He  not  only  declares  what  will  befall 
Him,  but  summons  them  to  bear  Him  company 
at  whatever  peril. 

31.  by.  R.V.  marg.,  "through";  as  channels 
of  Divine  communication,  prophets,  Luke,  un- 
like Matthew,  uses  the  argument  from  prophecy 
seldom,     the    Son  of  man.    A.V.    connects  this 


296   Westminster  New  Testament 

phrase  with  "written  concerning/*  the  R.V.  with 
"  accomplished  unto." 

32.  Gentiles.  A  new  detail,  involving  the 
expectation  that  the  form  of  death  would  be 
crucifixion.  The  predictions  became  more  definite 
as  events  unfold  to  the  insight  of  Jesus. 

34.  understood.  Luke  alone  asserts  the  mis- 
understanding of  the  disciples,  but  Matthew  and 
Mark  illustrate  it  by  the  record  of  the  request  of 
the  sons  of  Zebedee.  Expecting  an  earthly  king- 
dom they  could  not  accept  the  necessity  of  the 
death,  nor  the  certainty  of  the  resurrection  of 
Jesus,  hid  from  them.  Till  "  He  opened  their 
mind  "  (xxiv.  45).  neither  knew.  "  neither  came 
to  know  "  ;  their  dullness  of  mind  endured. 


Luke  xviii.  35-431  =  Mark  x.  46-52= Matt.  xx.  29-34). 
THE   BLIND   MAN  AT  JERICHO. 

35  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  as  he  was  come  nigh  unto 
Jericho,  a  certain  blind  man  sat  by  the  way-side  begging  : 

36  and   hearing   the   multitude   pass  by,   he  asked   what  it 

37  meant.     And    they    told    him,    that    Jesus    of  Nazareth 

38  passeth  by.     And  he  cried,   saying,   Jesus,   thou  son  of 

39  David,  have  mercy  on  me.  And  they  which  went  before 
rebuked  him,  that  he  should  hold  his  peace :  but  he  cried 
so  much  the  more.  Thou  son  of  David,  have  mercy  on  me. 

40  And  Jesus  stood,  and  commanded  him  to  be  brought  unto 

41  him  :  and  when  he  was  come  near,  he  asked  him,  saying, 
What  wilt  thou  that  I  shall  do  unto  thee  ?    And  he  said, 

42  Lord,  that  I  may  receive  my  sight.     And  Jesus  said  unto 

43  him,  Receive  thy  sight :  thy  faith  hath  saved  thee.  And 
immediately  he  received  his  sight,  and  followed  him, 
glorifying  God  :  and  all  the  people,  when  they  saw  it, 
gave  praise  unto  God. 


St.  Luke  xviii.  35-43         297 

"The  three  narratives/'  says  Plummer,  "have 
exercised  the  ingenuity  of  harmonisers.  Luke  and 
Mark  have  only  one  blind  man ;  Matthew,  again, 
mentions  two  (cf.  Matt.  ix.  27).  Luke  repre- 
sents the  miracle  as  taking  place  when  Jesus  was 
approaching  Jericho  ;  Matthew  and  Mark  as  taking 
place  when  He  was  leaving  it.  Luke  says  that 
Jesus  healed  with  a  command ;  Mark  with  a  word 
of  comfort ;  Matthew  with  a  touch.  Only  those 
who  have  a  narrow  view  respecting  inspiration 
and  its  effects  will  be  concerned  to  reconcile  these 
differences  and  make  each  of  the  three  verbally 
exact "  (p.  429).  No  space  need  be  wasted  in  giving 
the  manifold  suggestions  of  harmonisers. 

35.  Jericho.  A  splendid  city  favoured  by  the 
Herods. 

36.  multitude.  The  caravan  of  pilgrims  going 
up  to  Jerusalem  for  the  Passover,  to  which  Jesus 
had  attached  Himself  probably  at  some  place  in 
Peraea. 

37.  Nazareth.    See  on  iv.  34. 

38.  son  of  David.  A  confession  of  Jesus' 
Messiahship. 

39.  rebuked.  Not  the  confession,  but  the 
interruption  of  Jesus'  journey,  and  even  possibly 
teaching  by  the  way,  by  the  beggar  seeking  alms. 
the  more.  The  persistency  of  prayer  Jesus 
commended. 

40.  come  near.  Mark  states  that  "  he,  casting 
away  his  garment,  sprang  up,  and  came,"  em- 
phasising his  eagerness  to  get  his  sight. 

41.  Jesus'  question  enables  the  man  to  assert 
his  faith  in  Jesus'  miraculous  power,  and  to 
correct  the  misunderstanding  by  the  crowd  of 
his  appeal. 


298   Westminster  New  Testament 

4-2.  faith.  In  Jesus'  Messiahship  and  power  to 
heal.  Its  persistence  in  spite  of  discouragement 
pleased  Jesus. 

43.  Luke  alone  records  the  praise  of  the  man, 
and  the  multitude. 

Luke  xix.  i-io. 
THE  GUEST  OF  ZACCH^US. 

And  Jesus   entered   and   passed   through  Jericho.     And, 

2  behold,  \here  was  a  man  named   Zacchasus,   which   was 

3  the  chief  among  the  publicans,  and  he  was  rich.  And 
he  sought  to  see  Jesus  who  he  was :   and  could  not  for 

4  the  press,  because  he  was  little  of  stature.  And  he  ran 
before,  and  climbed  up  into  a  sycamore  tree  to  see  him  : 

5  for  he  was  to  pass  that  way.  And  when  Jesus  came  to 
the  place,  he  looked  up,  and  saw  him,  and  said  unto  him, 
Zacchseus,    make   haste,   and  come   down ;    for  to  day  I 

6  must  abide  at  thy  house.     And  he  made  haste,  and  came 

7  down,  and  received  him  joyfully.  And  when  they  saw  it, 
they  all  murmured,  saying.  That  he  was  gone  to  be  guest 

8  with  a  man  that  is  a  sinner.  And  Zacchseus  stood,  and 
said  unto  the  Lord ;  Behold,  Lord,  the  half  of  my  goods 
I  give  to  the  poor ;  and  if  I  have  taken  any  thing  from 

9  any  man  by  false  accusation,  I  restore  him  fourfold.  And 
Jesus  said  unto  him,  This  day  is  salvation  come  to  this 

ID  house,  forsomuch  as  he  also  is  a  son  of  Abraham.  For 
the  Son  of  man  is  come  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which 
was  lost. 

This  passage  is  peculiar  to  Luke,  probably 
derived  from  some  Aramaic  source,  and  illustrates 
his  universalism. 

L  passed,  "was  passing."  Jesus  would  not 
have  stayed  in  the  city,  had  He  not  met  this 
publican. 


St.  Luke  xix.  i-io 


299 


2.  Zacchseus.  The  name  (Heb.  Zaccai)  means 
"pure,"  and  shows  that  he  was  a  Jew  (Ezra  ii.  9  J 
Neh.  vii.  14)_,  and  not  a  heathen,  but  as  a  tax- 
gatherer  he  was  reckoned  "a  sinner"  (ver.  7). 
Christian  legend  makes  him  afterwards  Bishop  of 
Caesarea.  thechief  among  the  publicans.  Better 
R.V.,  "a  chief  publican  "  ;  an  official  title,  the  exact 
meaning  of  which  we  cannot  now  fix.  Plummer 
suggests  the  rendering,  "  Commissioner  of  Taxes." 
For  favourable  mention  of  other  tax-gatherers, 
see  iii.  12,  v.  27,  vii.  29,  xv.  1,  xviii.  10. 

3.  press.  R.V.,  "crowd,"  which  prevented  his 
getting  near  to  Jesus,  and  which,  as  he  was  small, 
hid  Jesus  from  his  gaze. 

4.  sycamore,  "a  fig-mulberry."  See  on 
xvii.  6. 

5.  looked  up.  A  fixed  gaze  on  a  person  is 
known  to  arrest  his  attention.  Just  as  Jesus  was 
sensitive  to  the  woman's  touch,  so  to  this  man's 
look.  Zacchseus.  This  proves  no  supernatural 
knowledge,  as  Jesus  sought  information  (cf.  Mark 
viii.  5  ;  John  xi.  34) ;  but  He  had  insight  into  the 
good  motive  of  his  action  in  thus  seeking  to  see, 
and  rewards  it.  abide.  Not  necessarily  over-night, 
but  at  least  for  a  long  rest. 

7.  sinner.  His  calling  rather  than  character 
is  thus  described. 

8.  The  condescension  of  Jesus  evokes  the 
resolve,  formally  declared  before  the  multitude 
to  Jesus,  to  dedicate  half  his  wealth  to  charity, 
and  to  apply  the  rest  to  compensating  liberally 
all  he  has  wronged.  A  declaration  of  a  resolve 
for  the  future  is  more  probable  here  than  a 
description  of  practice  in  the  past,  in  self-defence 
against  the  accusation  "sinner."     if  I  have.  This 


300   Westminster  New  Testament 

expresses  no  doubt ;  he  knows  that  he  has  in  his 
caUing  wronged  some,  fourfold.  The  extreme 
demand  of  the  Law  (Ex.  xxii.  1)  where  restitution 
was  compulsory,  but  much  more  than  was  required 
when  the  compensation  was  vokintary  (Lev.  vi.  5  ; 
Num.  V.  7). 

9-  salvation.  Not  in  Christ's  presence  itself, 
but  in  the  welcome  of  faith  given  to  His  grace 
in  offering  Himself  as  a  guest  (the  only  occasion 
where  Jesus  did  this),  this  house.  The  whole 
household  of  Zaccheeus  would  share  his  blessing. 
son  of  Abraham.  Jesus  asserts  here  that  he 
was  a  Jew,  although  there  may  be  a  secondary 
reference  to  his  faith  as  showing  his  spiritual 
kinship  with  the  father  of  the  nation  (cf.  Rom. 
iv.  11,  12). 

10.  is  come.  R.V.,  ^^came."  Salvation  of  the 
outcast  was  the  express  purpose  of  the  Incarnation 
(cf.  John  iii.  l6). 


Luke  xix.  11-28.  (cf.  Matt.  xxv.  14-30). 
THE   POUNDS. 

11  And  as  they  heard  these  things,  he  added  and  spake  a 
parable,  because  he  was  nigh  to  Jerusalem,  and  because 
they  thought  that  the  kingdom  of  God  should  immediately 

12  appear.  He  said  therefore,  A  certain  nobleman  went  into 
a  far  country  to  receive  for  himself  a  kingdom,  and  to 

13  return.  And  he  called  his  ten  servants,  and  delivered 
them  ten  pounds,  and  said  unto  them,  Occupy  till  I  come. 

14  But  his  citizens  hated  him,  and  sent  a  message  after  him, 

15  saying,  We  will  not  have  this  man  to  reign  over  us.  And 
it  came  to  pass,  that  when  he  was  returned,  having 
received  the  kingdom,  then  he  commanded  these  servants 
to  be  called  unto  him,  to  whom  he  had  given  the  money, 


St.  Luke  xix.  11-28  301 

that  he  might  know  how  much  every  man  had  gained  by 

16  trading.     Then  came  the  first,   saying,   Lord,   thy  pound 

17  hath  gained  ten  pounds.  And  he  said  unto  him,  Well, 
thou  good  servant :    because  thou   hast   been   faithful   in 

18  a  very  little,  have  thou  authority  over  ten  cities.  And 
the  second  came,   saying.    Lord,   thy  pound  hath  gained 

19  five  pounds.     And  he  said  likewise  to  him,  Be  thou  also 

20  over  five  cities.  And  another  came,  saying.  Lord,  behold, 
here  is  thy  pound,  which  I  have  kept  laid  up  in  a  napkin  : 

21  for  I  feared  thee,  because  thou  art  an  austere  man  :  thou 
takest  up  that  thou  layedst  not  down,    and  reapest  that 

22  thou  didst  not  sow.  And  he  saith  unto  him.  Out  of 
thine  own  mouth  will  I  judge  thee,  thou  wicked  servant. 
Thou  knewest  that  I  was  an  austere  man,  taking  up  that 

23  I  laid  not  down,  and  reaping  that  I  did  not  sow  :  where- 
fore then  gavest  not  thou  my  money  into  the  bank,  that 
at  my  coming  I  might  have  required  mine  own  with  usury  ? 

24  And  he  said  unto  them  that  stood  by.  Take  from  him  the 

25  pound,   and  give  it  to  him  that  hath  ten  pounds.     (And 

26  they  said  unto  him.  Lord,  he  hath  ten  pounds.)  For  I 
say  unto  you.  That  unto  every  one  w^hich  hath  shall  be 
given ;    and  from  him  that  hath  not,   even  that  he  hath 

27  shall  be  taken  away  from  him.  But  those  mine  enemies, 
which  would  not  that  I  should   reign    over  them,   bring 

28  hither,  and  slay  them  before  me.  And  when  he  had 
thus  spoken,  he  went  before,  ascending  up  to  Jerusalem. 

While  the  Parable  of  the  Talents  in  Matt. 
XXV.  14-30  has  a  general  resemblance  in  character 
and  purpose  to  this  parable^  yet  there  are  so 
many  minute  differences  that  it  is  more  probable 
that  Jesus  on  two  occasions  spoke  similar  parables 
than  that  the  Evangelists  should  have  given  so 
widely  varying  reports  of  one  parable.  Peculiar 
to  Luke  as  compared  with  Matthew  are  "(1)  the 
introduction,   ver.    11;  (2)  the  high  birth  of  the 


302    Westminster  New  Testament 

chief  agentj  and  his  going  into  a  far  country  to 
receive  for  himself  a  kingdom,  ver.  1 2 ;  (3)  his 
citizens  hating  him  and  sending  an  ambassage 
after  him  to  repudiate  him,  ver.  14 ;  (4)  the 
signal  vengeance  taken  upon  these  enemies,  ver. 
27 ;  (5)  the  conclusion,  ver.  28 "  (Plummer,  p. 
437).  Even  where  the  parables  appear  most  like, 
there  are  unlikenesses :  "(1)  In  the  Talents  we 
have  a  householder  leaving  home  for  a  time,  in 
the  Pounds  a  nobleman  going  in  quest  of  a  crown  ; 
(2)  the  Talents  are  unequally  distributed,  the 
Pounds  equally ;  (3)  the  sums  entrusted  differ 
enormously  in  amount;  (4)  in  the  Talents  the 
rewards  are  the  same,  in  the  Pounds  they  differ 
and  are  proportionate  to  what  has  been  gained ; 
(5)  in  the  Talents  the  unprofitable  servant  is 
severely  punished,  in  the  Pounds  he  is  merely 
deprived  of  his  pound"  (ibid.).  Dr.  Bruce  in- 
cludes these  two  parables  along  with  the  Parable 
of  the  Hours  (generally  called  the  Labourers  in 
the  Vineyard)  under  the  common  heading,  *'  Work 
and  Wages  in  the  Kingdom  of  God,"  and  thus 
distinguishes  the  lesson  of  the  two  parables  : 
"The  Parable  of  the  Pounds  illustrates  the 
proposition  that  where  ability  is  equal,  quantity 
(of  work)  determines  relative  merit."  .  .  .  "The 
Parable  of  the  Talents,  on  the  other  hand,  illustrates 
the  proposition  that  when  ability  varies,  then  not 
the  absolute  quantity  of  work  done,  but  the  ratio 
of  the  quantity  to  the  ability,  ought  to  determine 
value"  (^The  Parabolic  Teaching  of  Christ,  pp.  179^ 
180).  Possibly  this  is  an  over-refinement  of 
exegesis.  For  the  disciples  the  parable  is  a  call 
to  wait  and  work  till  the  Lord  return ;  for  the 
Jewish  people  a  warning  of  the  doom  of  unbelief. 


St.  Luke  xix.  1 1-28  303 

There  seems  little  doubt  that  there  is  in  the 
parable  an  allusion  to  contemporary  history,  to 
Archelaus'  journey  in  4  b.c.  to  Rome  to  secure 
the  kingdom  which  by  his  father's  will  was  left 
him,  an  attempt  opposed  by  an  ambassage  of 
fifty  representing  the  Jewish  nation. 

11.  And  as  they  heard.  These  words  connect 
the  parable  with  the  visit  to  Jericho,  a  city  in 
which  Archelaus  had  put  up  some  fine  buildings, 
and  which  would  thus  suggest  the  reference  to 
him  in  the  parable,  because.  Jesus'  entry  into 
Jerusalem  was  expected  by  many  to  be  the  signal 
for  the  establishment  of  the  Messianic  Kingdom. 
The  parable  denies  the  imminence  of  the  Kingdom, 
and  urges  the  moral  obligation  of  readiness  for  it, 
whenever  it  may  come. 

12.  noblemen.  Cf.  i  Cor.  i.  26.  for.  This 
suggests  delay,  to  receive  ...  a  kingdom.  The 

contemporary  history  explains  this  statement. 

13.  Probably  there  is  no  further  allusion  to  facts 
in  this  detail.  The  absence  of  the  master  is  to 
be  used  as  a  test  of  the  fidelity  of  the  servants, 
and  so  the  sum  entrusted  is  small,  only  about  £4). 
Occupy.  Better  R.V.,  "  trade,"  either  as  banker 
or  merchant. 

14.  citizens.  The  Jews,  while  the  servants 
are  probably  the  disciples,  hated.  An  allusion  to 
history  again.  Archelaus  massacred  about  3000 
at  the  beginning  of  his  reign.  Jesus  was  hated 
without  cause  (John  xv.  25).  this  man.  Con- 
temptuous. 

15.  gained  by  trading  is  more  definite  than 
the  Greek ;  better,  "  what  business  they  had 
done." 

16.  The   servant  claims   no    merit   to    himself. 


304   Westminster  New  Testament 

"  Thy  pound  worked  out  in  addition  ten  pounds  " 
(cf.  1  Cor.  iv.  1,  XV.  10). 

20.  another.  Gr.  ^^the  other."  Of  the  ten, 
three  (two  profitable  and  one  unprofitable)  are 
mentioned  as  typical  of  the  whole  number,  kept. 
Not  a  confession  of  fault,  but  a  profession  of  care  ; 
he  had  not  lost  or  wasted  the  pound,  napkin.  A 
Latin  word  is  here  used  by  the  Evangelist. 

21.  austere.  The  word  meant  originally, "  rough 
to  the  taste,  stringent."  thou,  etc.  Possibly  a  pro- 
verbial saying  to  describe  a  greedy,  grasping  person  ; 
put  into  other  words,  it  means  :  you  would  have 
taken  any  profit,  and  I  should  have  suffered 
any  loss  that  trading  might  have  brought.  As 
I  had  nothing  to  gain,  and  all  to  lose  by  trading, 
I  left  it  alone. 

22.  Granted  the  master's  severity,  that  was  a 
reason  for  greater  diligence. 

23.  bank.  The  servant  had  neglected  the  plain 
course,  which,  without  any  risk  to  himself,  would 
have  brought  some  gain  to  his  master.  He  had 
not  shown  even  the  least  care  that  was  possible, 
usury.  Better  R.V.,  "interest,"  as  usury  is  now 
used  in  the  bad  sense  of  exorbitant  interest. 

24.  them  that  stood  by.  His  personal 
attendants. 

25.  This  is  either  the  comments  of  the  at- 
tendants in  the  parable,  or  as  an  interruption  of 
the  parable  by  the  hearers  of  it,  showing  how 
keen  an  interest  it  had  awakened.  The  latter 
explanation  is  more  probable,  as  Jesus'  answer  in 
stating  a  general  principle  is  not  so  appropriate 
as  part  of  the  parable,  which,  after  a  break  in  the 
remonstrance  of  the  hearers  and  the  reply  of  the 
Teacher,  is  continued  in  ver.  27. 


St.  Luke  xix.  29-40  305 

26.  The  saying  is  paradoxical.  He  that  uses 
not  his  gifts  is  as  though  he  had  them  not,  and 
at  last  loses  them.  Capacity  increases  with 
exercise,  and  decreases  with  neglect. 

27.  There  is  a  distinction  between  the  un- 
faithful servants  and  the  enemies,  and  the  penalty 
of  the  one  is  less  than  of  the  other.  This  parable 
has  thus  a  two-edged  application,  to  disciples  and 
opponents. 

28.  before.  Jesus  seems  on  this  journey  to 
have  sought  to  be  alone  at  times  with  His  own 
sad  thoughts,  and  the  disciples,  not  sharing  His 
aim,  were  willing  to  leave  Him  alone.  It  is  a 
solitary  Figure  that  approaches  the  sacrifice  of 
the  Cross. 

Luke  xix.  29-40  (  =  Mark  xi.  1-11  =  Matt.  xxi.  i-ii ; 
cf.  John  xii.  12-19). 

THE    TRIUMPHAL    ENTRY    INTO 
JERUSALEM. 

29  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  he  was  come  nigh  to  Bethphage 
and  Bethany,  at  the  mount  called  the  mount  of  Olives,  he 

30  sent  two  of  his  disciples,  saying.  Go  ye  into  the  village  over 
against  you  ;  in  the  which  at  your  entering  ye  shall  find  a 
colt  tied,  whereon  yet  never  man  sat :  loose  him,  and  bring 

31  him  hither.  And  if  any  man  ask  you,  Why  do  ye  loose 
him  ?  thus  shall  ye  say  unto  him.  Because  the  Lord  hath 

32  need  of  him.     And  they  that  were  sent  went  their  way,  and 

33  found  even  as  he  had  said  unto  them.  And  as  they  were 
loosing  the  colt,  the  owners  thereof  said  unto  them,  Why 

34  loose  ye  the  colt  ?    And  they  said.  The  Lord  hath  need  of 

35  him.     And  they  brought  him  to  Jesus  :  and  they  cast  their 

36  garments  upon  the  colt,  and  they  set  Jesus  thereon.     And 

37  as  he  went,  they  spread  their  clothes  in  the  way.  And  when 
he  was  come  nigh,  even  now  at  the  descent  of  the  mount 

20 


3o6   Westminster  New  Testament 

of  Olives,  the  whole  multitude  of  the  disciples  began  to 
rejoice  and  praise  God  with  a  loud  voice  for  all  the  mighty 

38  works  that  they  had  seen  ;  saying,  Blessed  be  the  King  that 
Cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord :  peace  in  heaven,  and 

39  glory  in  the  highest.  And  some  of  the  Pharisees  from 
among  the  multitude  said  unto  him,  Master,  rebuke  thy 

40  disciples.  And  he  answered  and  said  unto  them,  I  tell 
you  that,  if  these  should  hold  their  peace,  the  stones  would 
immediately  cry  out. 

Luke  here  rejoins  the  other  Gospels  in  dealing 
with  the  Last  Days  in  Jerusalem^  but  still  he  has 
his  variations,  omissions,  and  additions.  As  he  had 
already  given  a  similar  story  (vii.  36-50),  he 
omits,  for  instance,  the  Anointing  in  Bethany, 
which  Matthew  and  Mark  place  after  the  Triumphal 
Entry,  but  John  before.  It  is  probable  that  Jesus 
reached  Bethany  on  Friday  afternoon  or  evening, 
that  he  was  here  entertained  to  supper,  that  he 
spent  the  Sabbath  quietly  at  Bethany,  and  that 
it  was  on  the  following  day  (Sunday)  that  the 
Triumphal  Entry  took  place. 

29.  Bethphage.  Meaning  probably  "house  of 
unripe  figs,"  has  not  been  identified  ;  it  was  either 
a  village  better  known  than  Bethany,  or  the  name 
of  the  whole  district,  in  which  was  Bethany, 
meaning  probably  "  house  of  dates."  The  site  of 
this  has  been  definitely  fixed.  two.  As  Mark 
contains  additional  details,  it  is  not  improbable 
that  Peter  was  one  of  the  two. 

SO.  village.  Either  Bethphage  or  Bethany,  or 
more  probably  some  unnamed  place  near  them. 
ye  shall  find.  This  need  not  be  a  case  of  super- 
natural knowledge,  but  Jesus  may  have  made  some 
previous  arrangement  with  an  unnamed,  and  to  the 
disciples  perhaps  unknown,  sympathiser   in  Jeru- 


St.  Luke  xix.  29-40         307 

salem.  It  was  contrary  to  Jesus'  general  practice 
to  use  His  supernatural  knowledge  or  power  for 
Himself,  and  every  apparent  instance  of  such  use  is 
capable  of  another  explanation,  whereon.  This 
statement  is  an  indication  that  it  was  a  Messianic 
entry  that  He  intended.  We  may  compare  the 
virgin  birth  and  the  burial  in  a  new  tomb  as 
similar  facts. 

31.  the  Lord  hath  need  of  him.  Probably 
the  password  before  arranged. 

35.  their  garments.  A  tribute  of  their  homage 
to  His  dignity.  While  the  progress  was  royal,  the 
King  came  in  humility  and  peace.  Luke  does  not 
quote  Zech.  ix.  Oj  which  brings  out  the  significance 
of  the  act. 

36.  Not  the  disciples,  but  the  multitude  are  now 
referred  to.  Luke  makes  no  mention  of  branches 
strewn  in  the  way,  or  of  the  crowd  that  came  out 
of  Jerusalem  to  meet  Jesus  (John  xii.  13-18). 

37.  mighty  works.  Gr.  ^^  powers,"  one  of  the 
words  for  miracles  in  N.T. 

38.  Blessed,  etc.  Cited  from  Ps.  cxviii.  26. 
King.  Luke  and  John  insert  this.  word,  peace 
in  heaven,  etc.  Cf.  the  angels'  song  in  ii.  14 
and  Ps.  cxlviii.  1.  glory.  Luke,  writing  to  the 
Gentiles,  substitutes  this  word  for  the  "Hosanna"  of 
the  other  Evangelists.  These  greetings  are  offered, 
and  welcomed  as  Messianic.  Thus  Jesus  openly 
makes  the  claim,  regarding  which  He  had  hitherto 
exercised  a  strict  reserve. 

39.  40.  This  remonstrance  of  the  Pharisees  and 
this  rebuke  of  Jesus  are  peculiar  to  Luke,  but 
historically  probable. 

39.  Master.  R.V.  marg.,  "Teacher."  This 
may  be  intended  in  opposition  to  the  acknowledg- 


3o8   Westminster  New  Testament 

ment  by  the  multitude  of  Jesus  as  Messiah,  from 
which  these  Pharisees  thus  desired  to  dissociate 
themselves. 

40.  Jesus  rebukes  the  insensibility  of  the 
objectors  sternly,  the  stones  would  cry  out. 
May  be  a  proverbial  expression  to  describe  a 
situation  in  which  the  insensible  even  would  be 
aroused  to  interest.  It  is  far-fetched  to  suppose 
that  Jesus  is  here  representing  these  Pharisees  as 
even  worse  than  "  men  of  stony  heart "  would  be 
in  such  a  position. 

Luke  xix.  41-44. 
LAMENT  OVER  JERUSALEM. 

41  And  when  he  was  come  near,  he  beheld  the  city,  and  wept 

42  over  it,  saying,  If  thou  hadst  known,  even  thou,  at  least  in 
this  thy  day,  the  things  which  belong  unto  thy  peace  !  but 

43  now  they  are  hid  from  thine  eyes.  For  the  days  shall  come 
upon  thee,  that  thine  enemies  shall  cast  a  trench  about 
thee,  and  compass  thee  round,  and  keep  thee  in  on  every 

44  side,  and  shall  lay  thee  even  with  the  ground,  and  thy 
children  within  thee  ;  and  they  shall  not  leave  in  thee  one 
stone  upon  another  ;  because  thou  knewest  not  the  time 
of  thy  visitation. 

Luke  has  already  recorded  a  lamentation  over 
Jerusalem  in  xiii.  34,  35,  clearly  out  of  its  historical 
order,  as  it  is  identical  with  that  in  Matt,  xxiii. 
37-39,  which  forms  the  appropriate  conclusion  of 
the  Great  Denunciation  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees. 
But  there  is  no  improbability  that  Jesus,  when  He 
caught  the  first  glimpse  of  the  doomed  city,  thus 
gave  utterance  to  the  vision  of  its  desolation  that 
must  ever  have  been  present  to  Him. 


St.  Luke  xix.  41-44  309 

41.  wept  (cf.  vii.  13,  38,  viii.  52).  A  stronger 
word  than  that  in  John  xi.  35.  There  was  waihng 
and  sobbing  as  well  as  tears.  The  patriotism  of 
Jesus  may  be  compared  with  Paul's  (Rom.  ix. 
1-3). 

42.  If.  There  is  no  principal  clause  to  balance 
this  conditional ;  and  we  need  not  supply  ''  thou 
wouldst  have  wept  for  thyself  as  I  do  for  thee  "  ; 
but  the  construction  is  virtually  a  wish,  as  in 
R.V.  marg.,  ^'  O  that  thou  hadst  known."  this 
thy  day.  This  asserts  a  day  of  opportunity,  and 
makes  probable  a  Judaean  ministry  such  as  John 
records,  peace.  There  may  be  an  allusion  to 
the  city's  name,  probably  'inheritance  of  peace." 
but  now.  The  fact  opposed  to  the  wish.  hid. 
''  once  for  all  by  Divine  decree." 

43.  the  days.  Better,  "  days."  trench.  R.V., 
"  a  bank  "  ;  Gr.  "  palisade."  This  detail  has  been 
regarded  as  a  proof  that  the  prediction  of  Jesus 
must  have  been  modified  by  the  Evangelist  after 
A.D.  70,  the  actual  siege  ;  but  if  Jesus  could  foresee 
the  siege  of  the  city,  could  He  not  fill  in  the  picture 
of  the  siege  as  one  usually  took  place }  He  may 
have  been  following  the  description  in  Isa.  xxix.  3. 
keep  thee.  The  actual  siege  was  so  successful 
that  thousands  perished  of  hunger. 

44.  lay  thee  even.  Better  R.V.,  "dash  thee"; 
for  the  A.V.  version  is  tautological,  as  they  shall 
not  leave,  etc.,  means  the  same  thing,  and  the 
R.V.  word  is  as  suitable  for  the  inhabitants  as  the 
city,  children.  Not  the  young  only,  but  inhabi- 
tants generally,  visitation.  Gr.  episcope.  God's 
oversight  or  visiting  of  men  either  in  judgment 
(cf.  Ex.  iii.  16 ;  Isa,  x.  3,  xxix.  6),  or  in  mercy,  as 
here  and  1  Pet.  ii.  12. 


310   Westminster  New  Testament 


Luke  xix.  45-48  (  =  Mark  xi.  15-19  =  Matt.  xxi.  12-17). 

CLEANSING  OF  AND  TEACHING  IN  THE 
TEMPLE. 

45  And  he  went  into  the  temple,  and  began  to  cast  out  them 

46  that  sold  therein,  and  them  that  bought ;  saying  unto  them, 
It  is  written,  My  house  is  the  house  of  prayer  :  but  ye  have 

47  made  it  a  den  of  thieves.  And  he  taught  daily  in  the 
temple.     But  the  chief  priests  and  the  scribes  and  the  chief 

48  of  the  people  sought  to  destroy  him,  and  could  not  find 
what  they  might  do  :  for  all  the  people  were  very  attentive 
to  hear  him. 

John  records  a  cleansing  of  the  temple 
(ii.  13-22)  at  the  beginning  of  the  ministry  of 
Jesus  ;  and  is  more  probable  that  Jesus  repeated 
the  act  than  that  either  he  or  the  Synoptists  made 
so  great  a  blunder  in  the  order  of  events  in  the  life 
of  Jesus.  According  to  Matthew  and  Mark  the 
cleansing  of  the  temple  took  place  on  the  day 
after  the  triumphal  entry,  and  the  cursing  of  the  fig 
tree  is  placed  by  them  on  the  second  morning  as 
Jesus  was  on  His  way  to  Jerusalem  from  Bethany, 
to  which  He  had  retired  on  the  previous  evening. 
As  Luke  has  given  a  similar  parable,  he  omits 
the  miracle,  and,  regardless  of  the  order  of  time, 
he  conjoins  as  one  assertion  of  the  Messiahship 
the  triumphal  entry  and  the  cleansing  of  the 
temple. 

45.  temple.  The  Court  of  the  Gentiles  is 
meant,  began  to  cast  out.  This  may  be  a 
Hebraism  for  "cast  out"  (Matt.  xxi.  12),  and 
need  not  mean  that  Jesus  failed  to  carry  out  His 

purpose.    Omit,  as  R.V.,  and  them  that  bought. 


St.  Luke  xix.  45-48         311 

Luke,  writing  for  Gentiles  who  knew  nothing  of 
the  temple  ritual,  omits  all  the  details  given  by 
Matthew  and  Mark. 

46.  The  quotation  is  from  Isa.  Ivi.  1,  but  sub- 
stitutes "shall  be"  (as  in  R.V.),  for  "  shall  be  called/' 
and  omits  the  clause  "  for  all  peoples/' — a  strange 
omission  for  the  companion  of  the  apostle  to  the 
Gentiles,  especially  when  Mark,  which  he  had 
before  him,  kept  the  words.  My  house.  Better 
R.V.,  "a  house."  den  of  thieves.  Much  more 
severe  rebuke  than  in  John  ii.  l6,  "a  house  of 
merchandise."  Either  the  scandal  had  grown 
Avorse,  or  Jesus'  indignation  was  less  restrained. 

47,  48.  The  public  entry  was  followed  by  a 
public  ministry,  of  which  the  close  is  described 
at  xxi.  37,  38,  as  is  here  the  commencement.  The 
populace  (probably  not  the  inhabitants  of  Jeru- 
salem itself,  but  the  provincials  who  had  come  to 
the  feast)  was  favourable,  but  the  authorities 
hostile. 

47.  taught.  Matthew  adds  healing  acts  also, 
the  priests,  mostly  Sadducees,  and  the  SCribes, 
mostly  Pharisees,  forgot  their  mutual  dislike  in  a 
common  hate  of  Jesus,  the  chief  of  the  people. 
R.V.,  "  the  powerful  men  of  the  people,"  mentioned 
by  Luke  alone ;  probably  not  "  elders,"  but  in- 
fluential persons,  not  officials. 

48.  were  very  attentive.  R.V.,  better,  "  hung 
upon  Him" — that  is,  waited  for  every  word  that 
fell  from  His  lips. 


312    Westminster  New  Testament 

Luke  XX.  1-8  (  =  Mark  xi.  27-33= Matt.  ^cxi.  23-27). 

THE  CHALLENGE  OF  JESUS'  AUTHORITY. 

And  it  came  to  pass,  that  on  one  of  those  days,  as  he  taught 
the  people  in  the  temple,  and  preached  the  gospel,  the 
chief  priests  and  the  scribes  came  upon  him  with  the  elders, 

2  and  spake  unto  him,  saying,  Tell  us,  by  what  authority 
doest  thou  these  things  ?  or  who  is  he  that  gave  thee  this 

3  authority?     And  he  unswered  and  said  unto  them,  I  will 

4  also  ask  you  one  thing  ;  and  answer  me  :  The  baptism  of 

5  John,  was  it  from  heaven,  or  of  men?  And  they  reasoned 
with  themselves,  saying,  If  we  shall  say,  From  heaven  ;  he 

6  will  say,  Why  then  believed  ye  him  not  ?  But  and  if  we 
say.   Of  men ;    all  the  people  will  stone   us  :    for  they  be 

7  persuaded  that  John  was  a  prophet.     And  they  answered, 

8  that  they  could  not  tell  whence  it  was.  And  Jesus  said 
unto  them.  Neither  tell  I  you  by  what  authority  I  do 
these  things. 

This  chapter  records  the  teaching  of  the  last  day 
of  the  public  ministry  of  Jesus  (probably  Tuesday 
of  Passion  week).  It  has  been  called  a  '^day  of 
questions."  The  scribes  and  priests  try  to  discredit 
Jesus  with^  and  to  destroy  His  Influence  over,  the 
multitude  by  pressing  on  Him  inquiries  which  they 
believe  will  involve  Him  in  difficulties  with  one 
section  or  another  of  the  nation.  He  is  questioned 
about  His  own  authority,  the  payment  of  taxes  to 
Caesar,  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  the  greatest 
commandment ;  and  Jesus  asks  in  turn  about  the 
ministry  of  John,  and  about  the  Davidic  descent  of 
the  Messiah.  The  three  Synoptics  are  in  this 
record  in  close  agreement. 

2.  The  two  questions  are  not  identical ;  the  one 
deals   with   the    character,   the   second    with    the 


St.  Luke  XX.  9-19 


I-; 


source  of  authority.  Had  Jesus  answered  that 
His  authority  was  that  of  the  Messiah,  they  would 
have  asked  for  evidence  that  God  had  conferred 
that  authority  on  Him. 

3.  thing.  R.V.,  "question."  Greek  word  = 
"statement." 

4.  This  was  no  evasion,  for  acceptance  of  John's 
authority  would  involve  acceptance  of  his  testimony 
to  Jesus  as  Messiah. 

7.  This  question  the  people  had  answered  ;  these 
professed  leaders  and  teachers,  to  escape  the 
dilemma,  pretended  that  they  could  not  answer ; 
how  humbling  and  damaging  a  confession  ! 

8.  If  they  admit  their  inability  to  judge  the 
claim  of  John  the  Baptist,  what  right  have  they 
to  arrogate  the  decision  of  the  greater  question, 
whether  Jesus  is  Messiah  or  not  ? 


Luke  XX.  9-19  (  =  Mark  xii.  1-12  =  Matt.  xxi.  33-46). 
THE  HUSBANDMEN. 

9  Then  began  he  to  speak  to  the  people    this   parable  ;   A 
certain  man  planted  a  vineyard,  and  let  it  forth  to  husband- 

10  men,  and  went  into  a  far  country  for  a  longtime.  And  at 
the  season  he  sent  a  servant  to  the  husbandmen,  that  they 
should  give    him   of  the   fruit   of  the  vineyard  :  but  the 

11  husbandmen  beat  him,  and  sent  him  away  empty.  And 
again  he  sent  another  servant :  and  they  beat  him  also,  and 

12  entreated  him  shamefully,  and  sent  him  away  empty.  And 
again  he  sent  a  third  :  and  they  wounded  him  also,  and 

13  cast  him  out.  Then  said  the  lord  of  the  vineyard.  What 
shall  I  do  ?     I  will  send  my  beloved  son  :  it  may  be  they 

14  will  reverence  him  when  they  see  him.  But  when  the 
husbandmen  saw  him,  they  reasoned   among  themselves, 


314   Westminster  New  Testament 

saying,  This  is  the  heir  :  come,  let  us  kill  him,  that  the 

15  inheritance  may  be  ours.  So  they  cast  him  out  of  the 
vineyard,  and  killed  him.     What  therefore  shall  the  lord 

16  of  the  vineyard  do  unto  them  ?  He  shall  come  and  destroy 
these  husbandmen,  and  shall  give  the  vineyard  to  others. 

17  And  when  they  heard  it,  they  said,  God  forbid.  And  he 
beheld  them,  and  said,  What  is  this  then  that  is  written, 
The  stone  which  the  builders  rejected^  the  same  is  become  the 

18  head  of  the  corner  1  Whosoever  shall  fall  upon  that  stone 
shall  be  broken  ;  but  on  whomsoever  it  shall  fall,  it  will 

19  grind  him  to  powder.  And  the  chief  priests  and  the 
scribes  the  same  hour  sought  to  lay  hands  on  him  ;  and  they 
feared  the  people :  for  they  perceived  that  he  had  spoken 
this  parable  against  them. 

This  parable  is  the  real  answer  to  the  question. 
Jesus  claims  to  be  the  beloved  son,  and  He  warns 
all  His  hearers  of  the  doom  awaiting  all  those  who 
reject  Him.  It  is  not  a  moral  or  religious  truth 
that  this  parable,  like  most  others,  illustrates ;  but 
the  history  of  God's  dealing  with  the  people,  past, 
present,  and  future,  is  presented  in  the  transparent 
disguise  of  a  story.  The  imagery  used  is  drawn 
from  the  similar  parable  in  Isa.  v.  1-7,  but  the  com- 
parison of  the  nation  to  a  vine  or  vineyard  is  common 
in  the  O.T.  (Deut.  xxxii.  32,  ?,^ ;  Ps.  Ixxx.  8-I6 ; 
Jer.  ii.  21 ;  Ezek.  xv.  1-6,  xix.  10-14;  Hos.  x.  1 ;  Joel 
i.  7).  Matthew  puts  before  this  parable  that  of  the 
Two  Sons,  and  after  it  that  of  the  Marriage  Feast. 

9-  vineyard.  Luke  omits  the  details  about 
hedge,  wine-fat,  and  tower,  let.  The  rent  was 
generally  in  kind,  either  fixed  in  amount  or  pro- 
portionate to  the  harvest. 

10.  servant.  Mark  and  Matthew  mention 
servants ;  and  Luke  alone  has  the  climax  in  the 
even  worse  treatment  of  the  messenger  sent. 


St.  Luke  XX.  9-19  315 

11.  entreated  shamefully.  Insult  is  added  to 

injury. 

1 2.  wounded  .  .  .  C£tst  him  out.  Worse  treat- 
ment still. 

13.  The  man's  perplexity  and  expectation  are 
details  of  the  parable,  which  must  not  be  turned 
into  doctrine.  R.V.  omits  "when  they  see  him/' 
which  has  slipped  in  from  next  verse. 

14.  inheritance.   Cf.  Heb.  i.  2. 

15.  As  the  vineyard  is  the  nation,  the  casting 
forth  can  have  no  reference  to  Jesus'  suffering 
outside  of  the  city.  The  question  is  addressed  by 
Jesus  directly  to  His  hearers,  and  the  next  verse 
gives  their  ready  answer.  They  do  not  realise  that, 
like  David  (2  Sam.  xii.  5,  6),  they  are  pronouncing 
their  own  condemnation. 

16.  God,  present  in  Judgynent,  will  transfer  their 
privileges  to  others.  One  section  of  the  audience 
suggested  the  answer,  another  section  deprecated 
it.  God  forbid.  Gr.  "  be  it  not  so."  The  English 
rendering  is  too  strong.  "  Away  with  the  thought  " 
is  an  adequate  rendering. 

17.  beheld  them.  A  solemn  look  of  pity. 
What  is  this,  etc.  The  argument  is.  If  this 
doom  is  not  to  fall  on  the  wicked  husbandmen, 
what  is  the  meaning  of  the  prophetic  warning? 
The  quotation  is  from  Ps.  cxviii.  22.  It  is  not 
improbable  that  "Stone"  was  a  designation  of 
the  Messiah  among  the  Jews,  as  in  Justin  Martyr, 
the  head  of  the  corner.  A  stone  uniting  two 
walls  either  at  the  base  or  at  the  summit  (cf. 
Acts  iv.  1 1  ;  1  Pet.  ii.  7). 

1 8.  This  saying  is  not  in  Mark,  and  doubtful  in 
Matthew ;  it  seems  to  be  suggested  by  Isa.  viii.  14, 
"  a  stone  of  stumbling  and  a  rock  of  offence,"  and 


3i6    Westminster  New  Testament 

Dan.  ii.  34,  the  stone  that  breaks  the  image, 
broken.  R.V.,  "  broken  in  pieces."  grind  him  to 
powder.  R.V.  better,  "  scatter  as  dust "  ;  an  ex- 
pressive image  for  complete  destruction  and  removal 
of  a  nation. 

19.  Instead  of  discrediting  Jesus,  His  enemies 
found  that  they  themselves  were  being  exposed. 
On  the  one  hand,  they  wanted  to  get  rid  of  Jesus 
at  once ;  on  the  other,  they  shrank  from  open  action 
because  of  the  enthusiasm  of  the  people  for  Jesus. 
They  resolve  to  be  more  crafty,  and  entrap  Him  by 
their  questions. 


Luke  XX.  20-26  (  =  Mark  xii.  i3-i7=Matt.  xxii.  15-22). 

THE  QUESTION  ABOUT  TRIBUTE  TO 
CiESAR. 

20  And  they  watched  him,  and  sent  forth  spies,  which  should 
feign  themselves  just  men,  that  they  might  take  hold  of  his 
words,  that  so  they  might  deliver  him  unto  the  power  and 

21  authority  of  the  governor.  And  they  asked  him,  saying, 
Master,  we  know  that  thou  sayest  and  teachest  rightly, 
neither  acceptest  thou  the  person  of  any,  but  teachest  the 

22  way  of  God  truly  :  is  it  lawful  for  us  to  give  tribute  unto 

23  Qesar,  or  no  ?     But  he  perceived  their  craftiness,  and  said 

24  unto  them,  Why  tempt  ye  me  ?  Shew  me  a  penny. 
Whose  image  and  superscription  hath  it  ?     They  answered 

25  and  said,  Ccesar's.  And  he  said  unto  them.  Render  there- 
fore unto  Coesar  the  things  which   be    Caesar's,  and  unto 

26  God  the  things  which  be  God's.  And  they  could  not  take 
hold  of  his  words  before  the  people  :  and  they  marvelled 
at  his  answer,  and  held  their  peace. 

This  question  is  put  not  by  the  whole  Sanhedrin 
(see  on  ver.  1),  but  by  the  Pharisaic  section,  allied 


St.  Luke  XX.  20-26  317 

with  the  Herodians  (Matthew  and  Mark).  The 
question  they  put  was  one  which  they  felt  sure 
would  compel  Jesus  in  His  answer  either  to  give 
ground  of  complaint  to  the  Roman  authorities, 
or  to  provoke  the  patriotic  prejudices  of  the 
multitude. 

20.  watched.  The  Gr.  has  no  object  "him/' 
and  may  mean  "watched  their  opportunity." 
spies,  "suborned  to  lie  in  wait."  just  men. 
They  were  bribed  to  pretend  that  they  had 
scrupulous  consciences  troubled  about  the  rightness 
or  wrongness  of  paying  this  tax.  take  hold  of 
his  words.  Better,  "  trap  Him  in  His  talk."  that 
SO.  The  expectation  was  that  Jesus  rather  than 
offend  the  multitude  would  embroil  Himself  with 
the  Roman  authority,  power.  R.V.,  "  rule,"  not 
distinguished  from  authority  (cf.  xii.  11  ;  1  Cor.  xv. 
24  ;  Eph.  iii.  10;  Col.  i.  I6,  ii.  15;  Tit.  iii.  1). 

21.  acceptest  .  .  .  the  person.  A  Hebraism, 
meaning  originally  "raise  the  face"  by  showing 
favour,  hence  the  meaning,  "  regard  with  favour  " 
(Ps.  Ixxxii.  2;  Mai.  i.  8,  9);  but  the  "bad  sense" 
apparently  is  meant  here  and  in  Gal.  ii.  6.  truly. 
Better,  "  of  a  truth." 

22.  Some  Jewish  patriots  thought  that  to  pay 
tribute  to  Caesar  was  to  be  faithless  to  God,  the 
sole  ruler  of  His  people. 

24.  penny.  Gr.  "  denarion,"  a  coin  worth  about 
eightpence  halfpenny,  image.  On  Jewish  coins 
there  was  no  royal  face,  and  even  Roman  coins  in 
Palestine  bore  none,  but  Herod  Philip  had  flattered 
Tiberius  by  stamping  on  his  coins  the  head  of  the 
emperor.  It  may  have  been  one  of  these  coins, 
or  a  foreign  coin,  that  was  now  brought. 

25.  Jesus'  answer  is  no  evasion  of  the  question. 


3i8   Westminster  New  Testament 

The  use  of  Caesar's  coinage  was  already  the  accept- 
ance of  his  government,  and  can-ied  the  obligation 
of  paying  his  taxes.  Benefits  received  from  a  State 
impose  obligations  to  that  State.  Nor  is  there  any 
necessary  antagonism  between  God  and  Caesar, 
for  Caesar  is  God's  instrument  (cf.  Rom.  xiii.  1-7). 
In  reminding  His  hearers  of  their  duty  to  God 
Jesus  is  rebuking  their  antagonism  to  Himself, 
whom,  though  He  came  from  God,  they  were 
seeking  to  destroy. 


Luke  XX.  27-40  (  =  Mark  xii.  18-27= Matt  xxii.  23-33). 
THE  QUESTION  OF  THE  RESURRECTION. 

27  Then  came  to  him  certain  of  the  Sadducees,  which  deny 

28  that  there  is  any  resurrection  ;  and  they  asked  him,  saying, 
Master,  Moses  wrote  unto  us,  If  any  man's  brother  die, 
having  a  wife,  and  he  die  without  children,  that  his  brother 
should  take  his  wife,  and  raise  up  seed  unto  his  brother. 

29  There  were  therefore  seven  brethren  :  and  the  first  took  a 

30  wife,  and  died  without  children.     And  the  second  took  her 

31  to  wife,  and  he  died  childless.  And  the  third  took  her; 
and   in   like   manner   the   seven   also  :   and   they  left   no 

32  children,  and  died.     Last   of  all  the  woman   died   also. 

33  Therefore  in  the  resurrection  whose  wife  of  them  is  she  ? 

34  for  seven  had  her  to  wife.  And  Jesus  answering  said  unto 
them.  The  children  of  this  world  marry,  and  are  given  in 

35  marriage  :  but  they  which  shall  be  accounted  worthy  to 
obtain  that  world,   and  the   resurrection  from  the  dead, 

36  neither  marry,  nor  are  given  in  marriage  :  neither  can  they 
die  any  more  :  for  they  are  equal  unto  the  angels  ;  and  are 
the  children  of  God,  being  the  children  of  the  resurrection. 

37  Now  that  the  dead  are  raised,  even  Moses  shewed  at  the 
bush,  when  he  calleth  the  Lord  the  God  of  Abraham,  and 

38  the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of  Jacob.     For  he  is  not  a 


St.  Luke  XX.  27-40  319 

God  of  the  dead,  but  of  the  living  :  for  all  live  unto  him. 

39  Then  certain  of  the  scribes  answering  said,  Master,  thou 

40  hast  well  said.     And  after  that  they  durst  not  ask  him  any 
question  at  all. 

The  other  Jewish  party^  the  Sadducees,  to  which 
the  priesthood  generally  belonged,  now  tried  its 
hand  at  discrediting  Jesus  by  exposing  His  inability 
to  answer  a  question  which  as  an  authoritative 
teacher  He  should  have  been  able  to  deal  with. 
The  question  was  also  intended  to  cast  ridicule  on 
their  opponents,  the  Pharisees,  by  showing  how 
absurd  were  the  consequences  of  the  doctrine 
of  the  resurrection  which  they  held.  Only  if  the 
resurrection  was  understood  as  a  literal  restoration 
of  all  earthly  conditions,  the  form  in  which  the 
Pharisees  appear  to  have  held  the  belief,  was  the 
difficulty  formidable.  Jesus  sets  it  aside,  because 
He  presented  a  more  spiritual  conception  of  the 
future  life.  The  Sadducees  rejected  the  oral 
tradition  which  the  Pharisees  accepted,  and,  like 
all  other  Jews,  gave  the  Law  the  highest  authority. 
Here  Jesus  met  them  with  a  quotation  from 
Exodus. 

27.  which  deny,  etc.  R.V.,  '^  they  which  say," 
etc.  It  is  not  a  general  characteristic  of  the  party 
that  is  mentioned,  but  of  those  who  put  the  question. 
Some  of  the  party  may  have  held  the  doctrine. 

28.  Not  an  exact  quotation,  but  rather  a  summary 
of  Deut.  XXV.  5,  generally  known  as  the  Levirate  Law. 
The  custom  obtains  still  among  the  Kalmuks  and 
other  Eastern  peoples. 

34.  The  answer  usually  given  was  that  the 
woman  was  the  wife  of  the  first  brother.  Jesus 
does  not  give  it,  because  that  would  have  been  a 


320   Westminster  New  Testament 

confirmation  of  a  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  which 
needed  correction  in  a  more  spiritual  view.  Luke 
omits  the  introductory  words  of  Jesus,  "  Ye  do  err, 
not  knowing  the  Scriptures,  nor  the  power  of  God." 
S5.  they  which  shall  be.  R.V.,  "they  that 
are."  accounted  worthy.  Jesus  here  emphasises 
what  the  question  ignored,  that  there  are  moral 
conditions  for  the  enjoyment  of  the  blessings  of 
the  future  life  (cf.  Acts  v.  41  ;  2  Thess.  i.  5).  to 
obtain.  R.V.,  "to  attain  to"  (cf  Phil.  iii.  11) ;  a 
progress  is  implied,  world.  R.V.  marg.,  "age"; 
the  age  of  glory  and  bliss  beyond  the  grave 
(cf.  Rom.  xii.  2).  resurrection  from  the  dead. 
Used  of  Christ  and  the  saints  (  =  "  the  resurrection 
of  life,"  cf.  Acts  iv.  2 ;  1  Pet.  i.  3),  and  distin- 
guished from  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  which 
includes  the  wicked  also. 

36.  neither.  R.V.,  "  for  neither."  Where  there 
is  no  death,  there  need  be  no  birth,  and  no  marriage. 
angels.  Another  error  of  the  Sadducees  is  by  this 
allusion  corrected  (cf.  Acts  xxiii.  8).  The  re- 
semblance is  in  the  immortality,  not  immateriality 
or  sexlessness. 

37.  Having  rebuked  the  false,  Jesus  proves  the 
true  view  of  the  resurrection,  even  Moses.  To 
whom  the  questioners  had  referred,  at  the  bush. 
R.V.,  "in  the  place  cojiceniing  the  Bush."  The 
passages  of  the  O.T.  received  such  descriptive 
titles  (cf.  Rom.  xi.  2). 

38.  God's  personal  relation  to  men  is  the 
guarantee  of  their  immortality.  He  with  whom 
God  enters  into  fellowship  cannot  die. 

39.  The  scribes,  probably  Pharisees,  approved 
this  description  of  the  Sadducees,  but  all  recognised 
that  Jesus  was  not  one  to  be  entrapped  in  His  talk. 


St.  Luke  XX.  41-44  321 


Luke  XX.  41-44  (  =  Mark  xii.  35-37  =  Matt.  xxii.  41-46). 

THE  QUESTION  ABOUT  DAVID'S  SON 
AND  LORD. 

41  And  he  said  unto  them,  How  say  they  that  Christ  is  David's 

42  son  ?  and  David  himself  sayeth  in  the  book  of  Psalms,  The 

43  Lord  said  unto  my  Lord,  Sit  thou  on  my  right  hand,  till  I 

44  make  thitie  enemies  thy  footstool.     David  therefore  calleth 
him  Lord,  how  is  he  then  his  son  ? 

Luke  omits  the  question  of  the  scribes  regarding 
the  greatest  commandment,  which  Matthew  and 
Mark  insert  here,  as  he  had  given  a  similar  inquiry 
at  an  earlier  stage  of  the  ministry  (x.  25).  The 
question  Jesus  now  put  was  not  meant  merely  to 
confute  His  opponents,  but  aimed  at  enlightening 
the  minds  of  those  who  had  shown  themselves  open 
to  conviction  by  forcing  them  to  face  a  difficulty  in 
their  conception  of  the  Messiahship. 

41.  how.  If  David's  ascription  of  Lordship  is 
true,  how  can  the  Messiahship  depend  on  descent 
from  David  ?  There  is  a  contradiction  between 
what  you  think  and  David  thought  of  the  Messiah, 
they.  Matthew  has  "the  scribes." 

42.  Psalms.  The  words  are  quoted  by  Jesus  from 
Psalm  ex.,  regarded  as  by  David,  and  Messianic. 
Jesus'  authority  does  not  settle  the  question  of 
criticism,  as  to  whether  the  Psalm  was  written  by 
David  or  not,  as  in  all  such  matters  Jesus  shared  the 
opinion  of  His  own  age. 

44.  Jesus  does  not  here  deny  his  own  Davidic 

descent,  as  was  commonly  believed  (xviii.  38  ;  Matt. 

xii.  23,  XV.  22,  xxi.  9)  in  accordance  with  prophecy 

(2  Sam.  vii.  I6,  29  ;  Isa.  ix.  7,  xi.  1,  10 ;  Jer.  xxiii.  5  ; 

21 


322   Westminster  New  Testament 

Mic.  V.  2) ;  but  He  invites  these  scribes  to  consider 
whether  this  other  utterance  ascribing  Lordship 
does  not  so  exalt  the  Messiah,  that  the  Davidic 
descent  ceases  to  be  all-important,  and  the  concep- 
tion based  on  this  descent  proves  itself  inadequate. 


Luke  XX.  45-47  (  =  Mark  xxii.  38-40= Matt,  xxxiii. 
1,  2,  5-7). 

WARNING  AGAINST  THE  SCRIBES. 

45  Then  in  the  audience  of  all  the  people  he  said  unto  his  dis- 

46  ciples,  Beware  of  the  scribes,  which  desire  to  walk  in  long 
robes,  and  love  greetings  in  the  markets,  and  the  highest 

47  seats  in  the  synagogues,  and  the  chief  rooms  at  feasts  ;  which 
devour  widows'  houses,  and  for  a  shew  make  long  prayers  : 
the  same  shall  receive  greater  damnation. 

These  verses  seem  to  be  a  summary  of  the  longer 
discourse  in  Matt,  xxiii.,  but  possibly  the  fuller 
report  vi^as  not  known  to  Luke.  If  known,  he 
probably  passed  it  over,  as  he  had  already  given 
teaching  hke  it  (xi.  39-52). 

46.  long  robes.  Matthew  has  "make  broad  their 
phylacteries  " — the  leather  cases  containing  portions 
of  the  Law  worn  on  brow  and  arm ;  but  Gentiles 
would  not  have  understood  the  allusion,  rooms. 
R.V.,  "places."  See  on  xiv.  7.  All  these  are  evid- 
ences of  a  love  of  ostentation  and  admiration. 

47.  devour  widows'  houses.  By  taking  big 
gifts  from,  and  enjoying  profuse  entertainment  at 
the  houses  of,  wealthy  widows,  whom  they  deceived 
by  their  pretence  of  piety.  There  is  other  evidence 
of  these  evil  practices,  shew.  R.V.,  "■  pretence  "  ; 
to  deceive  the  widows  and  others  who  supported 
them,     greater.    Gr.    "more   abundant,"  in    pro- 


St.  Luke  xxi.  1-4  323 

portion  either  to  the  honour  they  thus  gained,  or 
the  hypocrisy  by  which  they  gained  it.  damna- 
tion.   Better  R.V.,  ^^condemnation." 


Luke  xxi.  1-4  (  =  Mark  xii.  41-44). 
THE  WIDOW'S  TWO  MITES. 

And  he  looked  up,  and  saw  the  rich  men  casting  their  gifts 

2  into  the  treasury.     And  he  saw  also  a  certain  poor  widow 

3  casting  in  thither  two  mites.  And  he  said,  Of  a  truth  I  say 
unto  you,  that  this  poor  widow  hath  cast  in  more  than  they 

4  all  :  for  all  these  have  of  their  abundance  cast  in  unto  the 
offerings  of  God  :  but  she  of  her  penury  hath  cast  in  all  the 
living  that  she  had. 

This  story  is  told  by  Mark  also,  but  not  Matthew. 

1.  looked  Up.  Mark  begins  the  story,  "And 
He  sat  down."  He  was  weary,  and  as  He  rested 
probably  closed  His  eyes,  and  so  Luke  begins  with 
"  and  He  looked  up."  saw  the  rich  men,  etc. 
See  R.V.  marg.  for  another  rendering,  ^^and  saw 
them  that  .  .  .  treasury,  and  they  were  rich  "  ;  but 
the  A.V.  rendering  seems  better,  treasury.  This 
probably  means  "the  thirteen  trumpet-mouthed 
boxes  which  stood  in  the  spacious  Court  of  the 
Women  "  (cf.  John  viii.  20). 

2.  mites.  See  on  xii.  59.  This  was  the  smallest 
amount  she  could  offer,  but  there  was  no  compulsion 
to  offer  anything. 

3.  Of  a  truth.  This  calls  attention  to  the 
following  utterance  as  contrary  to  common  opinion. 
Not  amount,  but  motive  fixes  value. 

4.  abundance.  Better  R.V.,  "superfluity." 
penury.    Better    R.V.,    "want"  (2    Cor.   viii.    14, 


324   Westminster  New  Testament 

xi.  9).  She  had  not  enough  for  herself,  and  yet 
gave  all  the  living  that  she  had,  all  her  present 
means  of  livelihood. 


Luke  xxi.  5-36  (  =  Mark  xiii.  1-37= Matt.  xxiv.  1-51). 

THE  DISCOURSE  ABOUT  THE  LAST 

THINGS. 

5  And  as  some  spake  of  the  temple,  how  it  was  adorned  with 

6  goodly  stones  and  gifts,  he  said.  As  for  these  things  which 
ye  behold,  the  days  will  come,  in  the  which  there  shall  not 
be  left  one  stone  upon  another,  that  shall  not  be  thrown 

7  down.  And  they  asked  him,  saying,  Master,  but  when 
shall  these  things  be?  and  what  sign  will  there  be  when 

8  these  things  shall  come  to  pass?  and  he  said,  Take  heed 
that  ye  be  not  deceived  :  for  many  shall  come  in  my  name, 
saying,  I  am  Christ ;  and  the  time  draweth  near  :  go  ye 

9  not  therefore  after  them.  But  when  ye  shall  hear  of  wars 
and  commotions,  be  not  terrified  :  for  these  things  must  first 

10  come  to  pass  ;  but  the  end  is  not  by  and  by.  Then  said  he  unto 
them,  Nation  shall  rise  against  nation,  and  kingdom  against 

1 1  kingdom  :  and  great  earthquakes  shall  be  in  divers  places, 
and  famines,  and  pestilences  ;  and  fearful  sights  and  great 

12  signs  shall  there  be  from  heaven.  But  before  all  these,  they 
shall  lay  their  hands  on  you,  and  persecute  you,  delivering 
you  up  to  the  synagogues,  and  into  prisons,  being  brought 

13  before  kings  and  rulers  for  my  name's  sake.     And  it  shall 

14  turn  to  you  for  a  testimony.     Settle  it  therefore   in   your 

15  hearts,  not  to  meditate  before  what  ye  shall  answer  :  for  I 
will  give  you  a  mouth  and  wisdom,  which  all  your  adversaries 

16  shall  not  be  able  to  gainsay  nor  resist.  And  ye  shall  be 
betrayed  both  by  parents,  and  brethren,  and  kinsfolks,  and 
friends ;  and  some   of  you  shall   they  cause  to  be  put  to 

17  death.     And  ye  shall  be  hated  of  all  men  for  my  name's 

18  sake.     But   there  shall  not   an  hair  of  your  head  perish. 

19  20  In  your  patience  possess  ye  your  souls.     And  when  ye 


St.  Luke  xxi.  5-36  325 

shall  see  Jerusalem  compassed  with  armies,  then  know  that 

21  the  desolation  thereof  is  nigh.  Then  let  them  which  are  in 
Judaea  flee  to  the  mountains  ;  and  let  them  which  are  in  the 
midst  of  it  depart  out  ;  and  let  not  them  that  are  in  the 

22  countries  enter  thereinto.  For  these  be  the  days  of  ven- 
geance, that  all  things  which  are  written  may  be  fulfilled. 

23  But  woe  unto  them  that  are  with  child,  and  to  them  that 
give  suck,  in  those  days  !  for  there  shall  be  great  distress  in 

24  the  land,  and  wrath  upon  this  people.  And  they  shall  fall 
by  the  edge  of  the  sword,  and  shall  be  led  away  captive 
into  all  nations :  and  Jerusalem  shall  be  trodden  down  of 
the  Gentiles,  until  the  time  of  the  Gentiles   be  fulfilled. 

25  And  there  shall  be  signs  in  the  sun,  and  in  the  moon,  and 
in  the  stars ;  and  upon   the  earth  distress  of  nations,  with 

26  perplexity ;  the  sea  and  the  waves  roaring  ;  men's  hearts 
failing  them  for  fear,  and  for  looking  after  those  things  which 
are  coming  on  the  earth  ;  for  the  powers  of  heaven  shall  be 

27  shaken.     And  then  shall  they  see  the  Son  of  man  coming  in 

28  a  cloud  with  power  and  great  glory.  And  when  these  things 
begin  to  come  to  pass,  then  look  up,  and  lift  up  your  heads  ; 

29  for  your  redemption  draweth  nigh.     And  he  spake  to  them 

30  a  parable  ;  Behold  the  fig  tree,  and  all  the  trees  ;  when 
they  now  shoot  forth,  ye  see  and  know  of  your  own  selves 

31  that  summer  is  now  nigh  at  hand.  So  likewise  ye,  when 
ye  see  these  things  come  to  pass,  know  ye  that  the  kingdom  of 

32  God  is  nigh  at  hand.    Verily  I  say  unto  you,  This  generation 

33  shall  not  pass  away,  till  all  be  fulfilled.     Heaven  and  earth 

34  shall  pass  away  :  but  my  words  shall  not  pass  away.  And 
take  heed  to  yourselves,  lest  at  any  time  your  hearts  be 
overcharged  with  surfeiting,  and  drunkenness,  and  cares  of 

35  this  life,  and  so  that  day  come  upon  you  unawares.  For 
as  a  snare  shall  it  come  on  all  them  that  dwell  on  the  face 

36  of  the  whole  earth.  Watch  ye  therefore,  and  pray  always, 
that  ye  may  be  accounted  worthy  to  escape  all  these  things 
that  shall  come  to  pass,  and  to  stand  before  the  Son  of 
man. 


326   Westminster  New  Testament 

This  eschatological  teaching  is  reported  by  the 
three  Synoptists.  Matthew  and  Mark  state  that 
it  was  as  Jesus  was  leaving  the  temple  that  His 
attention  was  called  to  its  magnificence,  and  He 
then  foretold  its  destruction.  Luke  does  not  give 
this  explanation.  While  this  discourse  cannot  be  re- 
garded as  merely  a  reflection  of  Jewish  expectations, 
as  a  compilation  of  much  later  date,  it  must  be 
admitted  that  here  probably  more  than  elsewhere 
the  teaching  of  Jesus  has  been  modified  by  the 
opinions  of  the  community  that  transmitted  it. 

5.  goodly  stones.  There  were  enormous  stones 
in  the  foundation,  and  columns  of  one  block  of 
marble  over  fifty  feet  high,  gifts.  Better  R.V., 
"  offerings  "  (Gr.  "  anathemas  ").  Herod  presented 
a  golden  vine,  the  bunches  of  which  were  as  tall  as 
a  man  (this  may  have  suggested  John  xv.  1). 

6.  there  shall  not  be  left,  etc.  A  prediction 
literally  fulfilled. 

7.  Matthew  and  Mark  state  that  this  question 
was  asked  as  Jesus  sat  on  the  Mount  of  Olives, 
when.  They  do  not  doubt  the  prediction,  and 
want  to  know  the  date  of  its  fulfilment,  sign. 
They  hope  to  live  till  then,  and  wish  to  be  duly 
warned. 

8-28.  The  prophecy  which  begins  here  ends  at  ver. 
28,  and  deals  with  the  preparatory  signs  (8-19),  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem  (20-24),  and  the  coming 
of  the  Son  of  Man  (25-28).  It  is  not  always  quite 
clear  to  which  event  a  saying  refers.  As  in  the 
apostolic  community  the  two  events  were  expected 
together,  the  teaching  of  Jesus  regarding  them 
would  not  be  kept  apart  in  the  tradition. 

8.  deceived.  Better  R.V.,  "led  astray";  not 
error  merely,  but  apostasy  (John  vii.  47  ;  1  John  i.  8, 


St.  Luke  xxi.  5-36  327 

ii.  26,  iii.  7  ;  Rev.  ii.  20,  xii.  9,  xx.  3,  10).     in  my 
name.    Claiming  to  be  Messiahs. 

9.  commotions.  R.V.,  "tumults"  (cf.  l  Cor. 
xiv.  33  ;  2  Cor.  vi.  5,  xii.  20  ;  Jas.  iii.  l6).  must. 
R.V.,  "must  needs" — that  is^  according  to  God's 
decree,     by  and  by.    R.V.,  "  immediately." 

10.  Political  unrest  is  the  first  sign. 

11.  Natural  disturbances — earthquakes,  famines, 
pestilences,  and  awful  appearances  in  the  sky,  are 
the  second.  Josephus  and  Tacitus  mention  pro- 
digies that  heralded  the  fall  of  Jerusalem. 

12.  The  third  sign  is  the  persecution  to  be 
endured  by  the  disciples  from  the  Gentiles,  accord- 
ing to  Matthew ;  almost  altogether  from  the  Jews, 
according  to  Mark  and  Luke,  synagogues.  Jewish 
persecutions,  kings  and  rulers  (R.V.,  "  govern- 
ors ").  Gentile  persecutions. 

13.  The  result  will  be  that  testimony  will  be 
borne  either  to  the  fidelity  of  the  disciples  or  to 
the  truth  of  the  Gospel. 

14.  meditate  before,  "previously  recite  your 
defence." 

15.  I.  In  Matthew  and  Mark  the  Spirit's  help  is 
promised,  mouth.  The  delivery,  wisdom.  The 
content  of  the  speech  (cf  Ex.  iv.  12;  Jer.  i.  9). 
gainsay  .  .  .  resist.  R.V.,  "withstand  .  .  .  gain- 
say." The  eloquence  will  be  irresistible  and  the 
argument  irrefutable. 

16.  both.  Better  R.V.,  "even"  (cf  xii.  52,  53; 
Matt.  X.  35).  death.  This  was  the  lot  of  James, 
Peter,  and  Andrew. 

18.  This  saying,  used  literally  Acts  xxvii.  34, 
must  refer  here  not  to  bodily  safety,  but  to  spiritual 
security,  as  death  is  in  ver.  l6  foretold. 

19.  patience.    Better,   "endurance."     posseSS 


328   Westminster  New  Testament 

ye.  R.V.,  "  ye  shall  win  "  eternal  life.  Matthew  and 
Mark  have :  ^^  He  that  endureth  to  the  end,  the 
same  shall  be  saved." 

20.  compassed,  "being  compassed."  When 
the  city  was  completely  encircled,  it  would  be  too 
late  to  think  of  flight  (cf.  Heb.  xi.  30).  desola- 
tion. Matthew  and  Mark  here  speak  of  "  the  abom- 
ination of  desolation." 

21.  mountains.  The  hill  country  of  Judaea, 
it.  R.V.,  "her,"  i.e.  Jerusalem,  and  not  Judaea, 
countries.  R.V.,  "country";  lit.,  "land-estates" 
(xii.  l6).  It  is  probable  that  Eusebius  refers  to 
this  utterance  in  his  mention  of  an  oracle  which 
led  the  Christian  Church  of  Jerusalem  to  remove  to 
Pella  in  Peraea. 

22.  vengeance  (cf.  Deut.  xxxii.  35  ;  Hos.  ix. 
7).  Eusebius  quotes  Josephus  to  the  effect  that  the 
ruin  of  Jerusalem  was  to  avenge  the  death  of  James 
the  Just,  fulfilled.  Cf.  Lev.  xxvi.  31-33;  Dan. 
ix.  26-27  ;  Mic.  iii.  12 ;  Zech.  xi.  6. 

23.  land.  Palestine,  wrath.  God's  displeasure. 
Cf.  xxiii.  29. 

24.  Possibly  70,000  were  killed  or  carried  into 
slavery,  trodden  down.  "  under  the  dominion." 
the  time  of  the  Gentiles.  The  period  in  God's 
providence  during  which  He  used  the  Gentiles 
for  His  judgment  on  His  people,  or  during  which 
the  Gentiles  enjoyed  the  privileges  of  His  people,  or 
it  may  be  both.  This  verse  is  peculiar  to  Luke,  but 
need  not  be  regarded  as  a  prediction  after  the  event. 

25.  Here  the  prophecy  seems  to  pass  to  the 
Coming  of  the  Son  of  Man.  Such  signs  are 
common  in  the  prophets  (Isa.  xiii.  10  ;  Ezek.  xxxii. 
7  ;  Joel  ii.  10,  iii.  15),  and  should  not  be  understood 
with   prosaic   literalness.     with    perplexity,    etc. 


St.  Luke  xxi.  5-36  329 

The  connection  of  thought  is  clearer  in  R.V.,  "  in 
perplexity  for  the  roaring  of  the  sea  and  the  billows." 
The  distress  is  due  to  the  perplexity,  and  the  per- 
plexity (bewilderment)  is  caused  by  the  commotion 
on  the  sea. 

26.  men's  hearts  failing.  R.V.,  ^'men  faint- 
ing"; better  than  margin,  "expiring."  looking 
after.   R.V.,  "expectation."    the  powers  of  the 

heavens.  Not  angels,  nor  cosmic  forces,  but 
heavenly  bodies — sun,  moon,  stars  (cf.  Isa.  xxxiv. 
4,  xl.  26 ;  Ps.  xxxiii.  6). 

27.  they.  Not  "  ye " ;  no  promise  that  the 
disciples  will  survive  till  that  day  (1  Thess.  iv. 
15 ;  2  Thess.  i.  7,  ii.  2  ;  Rev.  i.  7,  xix.  11-16). 

28.  The  word  of  comfort  is  peculiar  to  Luke. 
There  will  be  joy  after  sorrow,  redemption,  de- 
liverance generally. 

29.  The  application  of  the  discourse  is  made  in 
the  parable,  which  shows  the  possibility  and  en- 
forces the  obligation  of  watchfulness,  and  all 
the  trees.  An  addition  in  Luke  alone,  for  those  to 
whom  the  fig  tree  is  unknown,  of  yOUr  Own 
selves.    Without  any  one  telling  you. 

32.  This  generation.  The  phrase  must  mean 
the  persons  living  at  the  time  the  words  were 
spoken,  not  the  Jewish  race,  or  those  alive  at  the 
time  of  fulfilment.  The  assurance  can,  therefore, 
refer  only  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  not  the 
Coming  of  the  Son  of  Man,  unless  for  the  mind 
of  Jesus  the  one  event  was  not  separate  from  the 
other.  A  limitation  of  knowledge  in  such  a  matter 
is  consistent  with  the  conditions  of  the  Incarnation 
of  the  Son  of  God. 

33.  The  material  universe  is  perishable,  not 
Divine  truth. 


330   Westminster  New  Testament 

34-36.  In  this  closing  warning  Luke  differs 
largely  from  Matthew  and  Mark,  and  agrees  closely 
with  Paul  (cf.  1  Thess.  v.  3). 

34).  surfeiting.  Rather  the  nausea  that  comes 
after  a  debauch,  that  day.  The  day  of  the 
Second  Coming,  unawares.  R.V.,  "  suddenly  "  ; 
the  R.V.  follows  the  best  MSS.  in  joining  to  the 
word  the  clause  "  as  a  snare,"  which  the  A.V.  has 
in  the  next  sentence. 


Luke  xxi.  37,  38  ( =  Mark  xi.  19  ;  cf.  Matt.  xxi.  17). 

TEACHING  IN  THE  TEMPLE  AND 
LODGING  AT  BETHANY. 

37  And  in  the  day-time  he  was  teaching  in  the  temple  ;  and  at 
night  he  went  out,  and  abode  in  the  mount  that  is  called 

38  the  mount  of  Olives.     And  all  the  people  came  early  in  the 
morning  to  him  in  the  temple,  for  to  hear  him. 

These  verses  give  a  description,  not  of  events 
subsequent  to  the  discourse  which  closed  Jesus' 
public  ministry,  but  of  the  last  days  from  the 
Sunday  to  the  Tuesday  of  Passion  week. 

37.  The  publicity  of  the  day  is  contrasted  with 
the  retirement  of  the  night.  By  day  Jesus  was 
safe  among  the  crowds  in  the  temple.  At  night 
He  had  to  seek  safety  on  the  Mount  of  Olives, 
among  the  Galilaean  pilgrims  there  encamped. 
abode.  R.V.,  "lodged";  better,  "bivouacked." 
He  slept  in  the  open  air  among  His  friends. 

38.  came  early.    "  rose  early  and  came." 

The  passage  about  the  Woman  taken  in  Adultery 
(John  vii.  53-viii.  11),  which  is  left  out  of  the 
Fourth  Gospel  by  most  of  the  ancient  authorities, 


St.  Luke  xxii.  i-6  331 

is  inserted  at  this  point  in  Luke's  Gospel  by  some 
MSS.  ;  the  word  "  came  early  "  may  have  recalled 
the  word  "  early  in  the  morning "  in  John  viii.  2, 
and  so  the  insertion  may  be  accounted  for.  But  it 
is  certain  that  the  passage  does  not  belong  to 
Luke's  Gospel ;  although  the  incident  is  one  that 
would  have  been  welcomed  by  Luke,  had  he 
known  it,  as  an  instance  of  the  grace  of  Jesus  to 
the  sinful. 


VL  THE  PASSION  (Luke  xxii.-xxiii.) 

Still  following  the  leading  of  Mark  in  the  order 
of  events,  Luke  in  the  story  of  the  Passion  intro- 
duces matter  peculiar  to  himself  much  more  freely 
than  in  the  previous  section. 


Luke  xxii,  i-6  (  =  Mark  xiv.  i,  2,  lo,  ii=Matt.  xxvi. 
2-5,  14-16). 

JUDAS'  BARGAIN  WITH  CHIEF  PRIESTS. 

Now  the  feast  of  unleavened  bread  drew  nigh,  which  is 

2  called  the  Passover.  And  the  chief  priests  and  scribes 
sought  how  they  might  kill  him  ;  for  they  feared  the  people. 

3  Then  entered  Satan  into  Judas  surnamed  Iscariot,  being 

4  of  the  number  of  the  twelve.  And  he  went  his  way,  and 
communed  with  the  chief  priests   and   captains,  how  he 

5  might  betray  him  unto  them.     And  they  were  glad,  and 

6  covenanted  to  give  him  money.  And  he  promised,  and 
sought  opportunity  to  betray  him  unto  them  in  the  absence 
of  the  multitude. 

Here  Luke  is  following  Mark  closely,  but  omits 
the  stoiy  of  the  anointing  in  Bethany,  as  he  had 
told  a  similar  story  in  vii.  36-50. 


332    Westminster  New  Testament 

1.  the  feast  of  unleavened  bread.  A  phrase 
frequent  in  the  LXX.  drew  nigh.  Mark  and 
Matthew,  "after  two  days."  the  Passover. 
While  the  Passover  was  on  14th  Nisan,  the  feast  of 
unleavened  bread  followed  from  the  15th  to  the  21st, 
but  they  were  treated  as  one  (cf.  Matt.  xxvi.  17). 

2.  sought.  "  were  seeking."  Continued  effort 
is  expressed,  for.  This  gives  the  reason  why  the 
matter  required  so  much  planning.  It  must  be 
done  without  exciting  the  fury  of  the  multitude, 
who  were  favourable  to  Jesus. 

3.  Satan,  (cf.  John  xiii.  2,  27).  Not  demonic 
possession  is  meant,  but  Luke  in  his  favourite  way 
thus  expresses  the  entrance  of  the  temptation,  to 
which  Judas  freely  yielded.  SUrnamed.  R.V., 
"who  was  called."  twelve.  This  fact  heightens 
the  tragedy. 

4.  captains.  The  commanders  of  the  Levite 
guards  of  the  temple  (cf.  Acts  iv.  1,  v.  24,  26), 
who  would  be  needed  to  effect  the  arrest  of  Jesus. 

5.  glad.  Judas'  treachery  made  a  secret,  and  so 
safe  arrest  more  practicable,  money.  Matthew 
alone  mentions  the  amount — thirty  pieces  of  silver 
(shekels). 

6.  in  the  absence  of  the  multitude.  Or "  with- 
out tumult."  Matt.  xxvi.  5  seems  to  support  the 
second.  The  intention  seems  to  have  been  to  arrest 
Jesus  after  the  feast ;  but  Judas'  offer  altered  it. 


Luke  xxii.  7-13  (  =  Mark  xiv.  12-16=  Matt.  xxvi.  17-19). 
THE  PREPARATIONS  FOR  THE  PASSOVER. 

7  Then  came  the  day  of  vinleavened  bread,  when  the  pass- 

8  over  must  be  killed.     And  he  sent  Peter  and  John,  saying, 

9  Go  and  prepare  us  the  passover,  that  we  may  eat.     And 


St.  Luke  xxii.  7-13 


333 


they  said  unto  him,   Where  wilt   thou   that  we   prepare  ? 

10  And  he  said  unto  them,  Behold,  when  ye  are  entered  into 
the  city,  there  shall  a  man  meet  you,  bearing  a  pitcher  of 
water  ;  follow  him  into  the  house  where  he  entereth   in. 

11  And  ye  shall  say  unto  the  goodman  of  the  house,  The 
Master  saith  unto  thee,  Where  is  the  guest-chamber,  where 

12  I  shall  eat  the  passover  with  my  disciples?  And  he  shall 
shew  you  a  large  upper  room  furnished  :  there  make  ready. 

13  And  they  went,  and  found  as  he  had  said  unto  them  :  and 
they  made  ready  the  passover. 

The  exact  time  at  which  the  Last  Supper  was 
held  is  much  disputed.  The  Synoptists  represent 
it  as  on  the  very  day  of  the  Passover,  and  as 
identical  with  the  Paschal  meal,  while  the  Fourth 
Gospel  represents  Jesus  as  Himself  dying  as  the 
Paschal  Lamb  on  the  day  of  the  Passover.  Into 
this  insoluble  problem  it  is  not  necessary  here  to 
enter.  What  seems  certain  is  that  Jesus  meant 
this  meal  to  be  Paschal,  whether  held  on  the  day 
of,  or  the  day  before  the  Passover. 

7.  came.  According  to  Jewish  custom  ;  the  14th 
Nisan  began  after  sunset  on  the  13th.  passOver. 
The  lamb  offered  by  the  head  of  any  company 
holding  the  feast  together  was  slain  by  him,  and 
then  a  priest,  having  caught  the  blood  in  a  bowl, 
poured  it  out  at  the  foot  of  the  altar  of  burnt- 
oflering.  This  was  done  in  the  afternoon  in  the 
Court  of  the  Priests. 

8.  Peter  and  John.  With  a  traitor  in  the 
company,  Jesus  had  to  keep  secret  the  meeting- 
place,  and  so  used  only  trusted  disciples. 

10.  man.  Not  the  householder,  but  a  slave 
probably ;  but  this  work  was  generally  done  by 
women.  We  need  not  assume  supernatural  know- 
ledge, but  a  previous  arrangement  with  a  precon- 


334   Westminster  New  Testament 

certed  signal  such  as  this  is  a  sufficient  explanation 
of  the  incident. 

11.  Master.  Marg.,  "Teacher."  This  title 
suggests  that  the  host  was  a  disciple,  guest- 
chamber.  The  common  room  asked  was  on  the 
ground  floor,  but  the  upper  room  given  was  a  better 
room  reserved  for  more  private  use  of  the  household. 
passOVer.  No  slaying  of  a  lamb  is  mentioned  as 
part  of  the  preparation,  and  probably  there  was 
none. 

12.  furnished,  i.e.  "spread"  with  couches  or 
cushions. 


Luke  xxii.  14-23  {  =  Mark  xiv.  17-25= Matt, 
xxvi.  20-29). 

THE  LAST  SUPPER. 

14  And  when  the  hour  was  come,  he  sat  down,  and  the  twelve 

15  apostles  with  him.  And  he  said  unto  them,  With  desire  I 
have  desired  to  eat  this  passover  with  you  before  I  suffer  : 

16  for  I  say  unto  you,  I  will  not  any  more  eat  thereof,  until 

17  it  be  fulfilled  in  the  kingdom  of  God.  And  he  took  the 
cup,  and  gave  thanks,  and  said,  Take  this,  and  divide  it 

18  among  yourselves :  for  I  say  unto  you,  I  will  not  drink  of 
the  fruit  of  the  vine,  until  the  kingdom  of  God  shall  come. 

19  And  he  took  bread,  and  gave  thanks,  and  brake  it,  and 
gave  unto  them,  saying.  This  is  my  body  which  is  given 

20  for  you  :  this  do  in  remembrance  of  me.  Likewise  also 
the  cup  after  supper,  saying.  This  cup  is  the  new  testament 

21  in  my  blood,  which  is  shed  for  you.  But,  behold,  the 
hand  of  him  that  betrayeth  me  is  with  me  on  the  table. 

22  And  truly  the  Son  of  man  goeth,  as  it  was  determined  :  but 

23  woe  unto  that  man  by  whom  he  is  betrayed  !  And  they 
began  to  enquire  among  themselves,  v/hich  of  them  it  was 
that  should  do  this  thing. 


St.  Luke  xxii.  14-23         335 

In  this  narrative  Luke  seems  to  have  used 
another  source  than  Matthew  and  Mark,  and  his 
account  of  the  institution  of  the  Supper  may  be 
compared  with  Paul's  in  1  Cor.  xi.  23-25. 

14.  sat  down.  Rather,  "reclined"  on  couches. 
Standing  (Ex.  xii.  11)  had  given  place  to  sitting, 
and  sitting  to  reclining. 

15.  This  verse  is  peculiar  to  Luke.  W^ith 
desire  I  have  desired.  A  Hebraism  to  express 
intensity.  A.V.  marg.,  "I  have  heartily  desired." 
eat.  The  reference  is  probably  not  to  the  Paschal 
lamb,  but  to  the  wine  and  bread  afterwards 
mentioned. 

16.  This  verse  is  also  peculiar  to  Luke,  but  a 
similar  saying,  as  in  ver.  18,  about  the  vine  only  is 
given  in  Mark  xiv.  25  ;  Matt.  xxvi.  29.  After 
Jesus  in  dying  had  fulfilled  the  type  of  the  Paschal 
Lamb,  He  in  His  Presence  at  the  memorial  feast 
afterwards  shared  this  meal  again  with  His 
disciples. 

17.  took.  Better  R.V.,  "received."  The  cup 
was  handed  to  Jesus.  Luke  alone  mentions  the 
cup  before  the  bread  as  well  as  after  it.  While 
Paul  follows  the  usual  order  in  1  Cor.  xi.  23,  he 
twice  mentions  the  cup,  first  in  x.  l6,  21.  As  we 
do  not  know  enough  of  the  paschal  ritual  at  the 
time  to  make  any  definite  assertions  about  it,  and  as 
we  know  still  less  whether  Jesus  adhered  strictly 
to  it,  all  attempts  to  identify  the  details  of  the 
Last  Supper  and  of  the  Jewish  order  of  the  feast 
must  be  only  guesses,  divide.  Probably  by  drink- 
ing from  one  cup,  not  by  pouring  into  separate 
cups. 

18.  for.  The  reason  why  they  are  to  drink  the 
rest,  as   He   will   drink   no   more   now   than   the 


336   Westminster  New  Testament 

ceremonial  requires,  fruit  of  the  vine.  A  phrase 
used  in  the  Jewish  benediction  at  the  first  cup^  but 
we  cannot  be  sure  that  this  form  was  then  in  use. 

19,  20.  R.V.  margin  reads,  "Some  ancient 
authorities  omit  which  is  given  for  you  .  .  .  which 
is  'poured  out  for  youy  This  may  be  an  im- 
portation from  1  Cor.  xi.  24,  25,  as  Westcott  and 
Hort  hold.  This  would  relieve  us  of  the  difficulty 
of  the  mention  of  two  cups ;  but  still  the  cup 
would  be  mentioned  before  the  bread,  and  so  the 
difference  between  Luke  and  the  other  Synoptists 
as  to  the  order  would  remain,  unless  we  add  the 
conjecture  that  ver.  19,  down  to  the  word  "body" 
has  been  displaced,  and  should  come  before  vers. 
17,  18.  If  we  retain  the  present  text  of  A.V., 
how  are  we  to  explain  the  two  cups  }  If  the  cup 
of  ver.  19  is  the  memorial  of  His  shed  blood,  but 
not  the  cup  of  ver.  17,  then  neither  did  Jesus 
partake  of  it  Himself  according  to  His  intention 
expressed  in  ver.  18,  nor  did  He  bid  His  disciples 
partake  as  of  the  cup  mentioned  in  ver.  17.  If 
the  two  cups  are  the  same,  ver.  19  must  be 
regarded  as  thrust  in,  interrupting  the  account 
of  the  giving  of  the  one  cup.  The  problem  must 
be  admitted  insoluble. 

19.  bread.  R.V.  marg.,  "a  loaf."  is.  Around 
this  word  has  been  waged  the  battle  about  the 
doctrine  of  the  Supper.  According  to  the  Roman 
Catholic  doctrine,  the  bread  becomes  literally  the 
body  of  Jesus  ;  according  to  the  Lutheran  doctrine 
the  body  is  within  and  imder  the  bread ;  accord- 
ing to  the  teaching  of  other  Protestants  the  bread 
symbolises  the  body.  We  must  remember  how 
often  Jesus  used  figurative  language,  which  is 
given  for  you.  Peculiar  to  Luke.   do.  The  attempt 


St.  Luke  xxii.  14-23         337 

to  interpret  the  words  sac^rificially,  as  in  the 
Romish  doctrine  of  the  Mass,  is  against  all  the 
available  evidence,  in  remembrance.  "  to  recall 
to  mind,"  as  the  Passover  recalled  the  deliverance 
from  Egypt  (Ex.  xii.  24-27,  xiii.  8,  14).  this  do, 
etc.  It  must  be  noted  that  both  Matthew  and 
Mark  omit  the  command.  Some  scholars  from 
this  fact  draw  the  conclusion  that  Jesus  did  not 
Himself  institute  the  memorial  feast  at  the  Last 
Supper.  The  observance,  however,  goes  back  to 
the  earliest  days  of  the  Church,  and  must  have 
behind  it  Jesus'  own  authority,  whether  given  at 
the  Last  Supper  itself,  or  after  the  Resurrection. 

20.  Luke  here  corresponds  more  closely  with 
1  Cor.  xi.  than  with  Matthew  and  Mark.  like- 
wise. With  thanksgiving,  and  handing  to  the 
disciples,  new.  Peculiar  to  Luke  and  Paul.  In 
contrast  of  the  old  and  new,  there  is  clearly  a 
reference  to  Jer.xxxi.  31,  as  well  as  Ex.  xxiv.  8  (cf. 
Rom.  xi.  27  and  2  Cor.  iii.  6).  testament.  R.V., 
"covenant"  (cf.  Heb.  ix.  15,  l6).  in  my  blood 
(cf.  Zech.  ix.  11).  A  sacrifice  Avas  usually  offered 
in  ratification  of  a  covenant,  shed.  R.V.,  "poured 
out."     you.    Matthew  and  Mark  have  "many." 

21-23.  The  other  Synoptists  place  this  declara- 
tion before  the  Supper.  If  Luke  is  right,  Judas 
did  take  part  in  the  breaking  of  the  bread  and 
the  passing  of  the  cup.  The  point  cannot  be 
settled. 

21.  Though  Jesus  is  shedding  His  blood  for  His 
disciples,  one  of  them  sharing  the  parting  meal 
is  going  to  betray  Him. 

22.  determined.  Betrayal  was  included  in  the 
Divine  counsel  regarding  the  death  of  the  Messiah 
(Matthew  and  Mark  have  "as  it  is  written  con- 


338   Westminster  New  Testament 

cerning  Him/'  cf.  Acts  ii.  23).  woe,  etc.  Matthew 
and  Mark  add :  "  good  were  it  for  that  man  if  he 
had  not  been  born."  While  the  Divine  intention 
is  here  affirmed,  the  human  responsibility  is  not 
denied.  It  is  incredible  that  Jesus  called  Judas 
to  be  His  disciple  knowing  that  he  would  prove 
traitor,  or  in  order  that  he  might  betray.  He 
saw  fitness  for  discipleship  in  him.  Whenever  the 
evil  purpose  began  to  form  in  Judas,  Jesus  detected 
it,  and  began  in  solemn  warnings  to  appeal  to 
him.  Here  is  love's  endeavour,  the  last  but  one, 
the  remonstrance  at  the  false  kiss. 


Luke  xxii.  24-34  (=:Mark  x.  42-45=  Matt.  xx.  25-28; 
Mark  xiv.  2^-31  =  Matt.  xxvi.  33-35;  cf.  John 
xiii.  37,  38). 

THE  CONTENTION  ABOUT  GREATNESS  AND 
WARNING  TO  PETER. 

24  And  there  was  also  a  strife  among  them,  which  of  them 

25  should  be  accounted  the  greatest.  And  he  said  unto 
them,  The  kings  of  the  Gentiles  exercise  lordship  over 
them ;    and   they  that  exercise  authority  upon   them   are 

26  called  benefactors.  But  ye  shall  not  be  so :  but  he  that 
is  greatest  among  you,  let  him  be  as  the  younger ;   and 

27  he  that  is  chief,  as  he  that  doth  serve.  For  whether 
is  greater,  he  that  sitteth  at  meat,  or  he  that  serveth? 
is  not  he  that  sitteth  at  meat?   but  I  am  among  you  as 

28  he  that  serveth.     Ye  are  they  which  have  continued  with 

29  me    in    my    temptations.     And    I    appoint    unto    you    a 

30  kingdom,  as  my  Father  hath  appointed  unto  me  :  That 
ye  may  eat  and  drink  at  my  table  in  my  kingdom,  and 

31  sit  on  thrones  judging  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel.  And 
the  Lord  said,  Simon,  Simon,  behold,  Satan  hath  desired 

32  to  have  you,  that  he  may  sift  you  as  wheat :   but  I  have 


St.  Luke  xxii.  24-34 


339 


prayed  for  thee,  that  thy  faith  fail  not :  and  when  thou  art 

33  converted,  strengthen  thy  brethren.  And  he  said  unto 
him,  Lord,  I  am  ready  to  go  with  thee,  both  into  prison, 

34  and  to  death.  And  he  said,  I  tell  thee,  Peter,  the  cock 
shall  not  crow  this  day,  before  that  thou  shalt  thrice  deny 
that  thou  knowest  me. 

This  account  of  the  conversation  after  supper 
combines  matter  from  the  two  sources,  Mark  (vers. 
24,  26,  33,  34)  and  Q  (vers.  28-30),  with  that 
which  is  peculiar  to  Luke  (vers.  27,  29,  31,  32). 
A  similar  contention  about  greatness  is  recorded 
in  Mark  ix.  33-37  (  =  Matt,  xviii.  1-5,  and  Luke  ix. 
46-48).  The  saying  in  vers.  25,  26  is  given  in  Mark 
X.  42-45  ( =  Matt.  xx.  25-28),  in  connection  with 
the  request  of  the  sons  of  Zebedee,  and  is  followed 
by  the  saying  about  the  life  of  the  Son  of  Man 
being  given  as  a  ransom  for  many.  Vers.  28 
and  30  (not  29)  are,  according  to  Harnack,  a  saying 
taken  from  the  Logia,  reproduced  also  with  changes 
in  Matt.  xix.  28  in  the  warning  and  assurance 
given  after  the  rich  young  ruler's  refusal.  There 
is  no  evidence  that  Luke  here  gives  these  sayings 
their  original  setting,  but  the  washing  of  the 
disciples'  feet  reported  by  John  does  indicate  that 
even  then  the  disciples'  ambition  and  rivalry 
needed  to  be  rebuked. 

24.  should  be.  R.  V.,  "  is " — that  is,  ought  to 
be  in  the  common  judgment,  greatest.  Gr. 
"  greater."  Not  one  ascending  series  of  positions  is 
meant,  but  the  leadership  of  one  in  a  company 
of  equals. 

25.  exercise  lordship.  R.V.,  "have  lordship" 

(cf.    Rom.  xiv.   9;    2   Cor.   i.   24 ;    1   Tim.   vi.    15). 
are   called.     Better,    "claim  the  title."     bene- 


340   Westminster  New  Testament 

factors.    So  some  of  the  Greek  kings  of  Egypt 
were  called. 

26.  greatest.  R.V.,  '^ greater"  in  character, 
etc.    younger.   Cf.  Acts  v.  6,  10. 

27.  As  it  is  not  certain  that  the  words  were 
spoken  at  the  Last  Supper,  we  cannot  explain 
this  saying  by  the  feet-washing. 

28-30.  Their  only  privilege  as  disciples  is  to 
serve,  and,  if  need  be,  suffer  with  Him ;  no  other 
preference  can  He  show  to  them. 

28.  continued.  The  Greek  word  expresses 
"persistent  loyalty."  temptations.  The  perse- 
cution Jesus  suffered,  the  popular  Messianic 
expectations,  even  His  disciples'  desires,  were 
temptations  to  Jesus  to  abandon  the  divinely 
appointed  way  of  fulfilling  His  calling  (cf.  iv. 
1-12). 

29.  I  appoint.  In  return  for  your  "  persistent 
loyalty."  a  kingdom.  Better,  "  dominion  "  (rule, 
not  realm,  is  meant ;  cf  i.  33,  xxiii,  42).  In  R.V. 
margin  another  rendering  is  given :  "  I  appoint 
unto  you,  even  as  My  Father  appointed  unto 
Me  a  kingdom,  that  ye  may  eat  and  drink." 
To  Christ  alone  belongs  dominion,  but  His  disciples 
share  the  regal  banquet ;  but  this  is  less  likely. 

30.  The  Messianic  Kingdom  was  often  repre- 
sented as  a  banquet  (cf.  xiii.  29,  xiv.  15). 
judging.  As  preachers  of  the  Kingdom  they 
judge  the  hearers,  approving  those  who  accept, 
and  condemning  those  who  reject  their  message 
(cf.  1  Cor.  vi.  2,  3  ;  Rev.  xx.  4). 

31-34.  Luke  and  John  (xiii.  36-38)  place  the 
prediction  of  Peter's  fall  in  the  Upper  Room ; 
Matthew  and  Mark  on  the  way  to  Gethsemane. 
The  address  of  Jesus  to  Peter  in  vers.  31  and  32 


St.  Luke  xxii.  35-38  341 

is  peculiar  to  Luke.  The  severity  of  the  tempta- 
tion is  insisted  on,  and  the  certainty  of  recovery 
is  affirmed,  an  illustration  of  Luke's  tendency  "  to 
spare  the  disciples  "  (see  the  Introduction,  p.  33). 

31.  And  the  Lord  said.  Omit  the  words,  as 
they  are  a  later  insertion,  because  there  appeared 
to  be  no  connection  with  the  preceding,  hath 
desired.  The  meaning  is  given  in  R.V.  marg., 
"  obtained  you  by  asking."  Jesus  knew  the  Divine 
assent  to  Peter's  testing. 

32,  I  have  prayed.  R.V., "  I  made  supplication." 
Against  Satan's  opportunity  to  tempt  stands  Jesus' 
importunity  to  save,  fail  not.  Gr.  "fail  not 
utterly."  art  Converted.  Better  R.V.,  "hast 
turned "  ;  it  is  recovery  from  a  temporary  failure, 
not  a  new  beginning  of  discipleship. 

S3.  I  am  ready.  He  has  more  confidence  in 
his  own  purpose  than  in  Jesus'  prophecy. 

34.  Peter.  The  use  of  the  name  was  intended 
to  remind  him  of  the  source  of  his  strength  (cf. 
Matt.  xvi.  18),  not  self-confidence,  but  faith  in 
Jesus  Himself  cock  .  .  .  crow.  The  name  of  the 
thii*d  of  the  four  Roman  watches  was  "cock- 
crowing."  What  is  here  meant  is  "before  the 
night  is  passed." 

Luke  xxii.  35-38. 

THE  PURSE,  THE  WALLET,  AND  THE 
SWORD. 

35  And  he  said  unto  them,  When  I  sent  you  without  purse, 
and  scrip,  and  shoes,  lacked  ye  any  thing?    And  they  said, 

36  Nothing,  Then  said  he  unto  them,  But  now,  he  that  hath 
a  purse,  let  him  take  it,  and  likewise  his  scrip :  and  he 
that  hath  no  sword,  let  him  sell  his  garment,  and  buy  one. 


342    Westminster  New  Testament 

37  For  I  say  unto  you,  that  this  that  is  written  must  yet  be 
accomplished  in  me,  And  he  was  reckoned  among  the 
transgressors  :  for  the  things  concerning  me  have  an  end. 

38  And  they  said,  Lord,  behold,  here  are  two  swords.  And 
he  said  unto  them.  It  is  enough. 

These  sayings  are  peculiar  to  Luke^  and  are  a 
reversal  of  the  counsels  given  to  the  disciples  when 
sent  forth  on  their  mission,  owing  to  the  changed 
situation  of  danger  and  difficulty. 

35.  Cf.  the  counsel  to  the  Twelve  in  ix.  3,  and 
the  Seventy  in  x.  4. 

^^.  scrip.  R.V.,  "wallet."  he  that  hath  no 
sword.  R.V.,  "  he  that  hath  none  " — that  is,  purse  ; 
the  Greek  here  is  ambiguous.  He  that  had  a 
purse  would  not  need  to  sell  his  garment.  So 
great  will  be  the  danger  of  the  disciples,  that  a 
sword  will  seem  more  necessary  than  even  the 
garment.  We  cannot  suppose  that  Jesus  desired 
violence  to  be  met  by  violence.  The  saying  must 
be  taken  as  a  vivid  prediction  of  the  dangers  before 
the  disciples. 

37.  accomplished.  Better  R.V.,  "fulfilled." 
in  me.  If  the  Master  is  to  be  so  treated,  what  can 
His  followers  expect  ?  And  he  was.  Quoted  from 
Isa.  liii.  12.  have  an  end.  The  predictions  re- 
garding the  Messiah  were  not  only  being  fulfilled 
in  Jesus  by  a  Divine  necessity,  but  the  series  was 
now  almost  completed,  as  His  work  was  so  nearly 
accomplished. 

38.  swords.  The  disciples  had  anticipated 
danger  on  the  journey  or  in  the  city,  and  had  been 
prepared  to  meet  force  with  force.  They  miss  the 
deeper  meaning  of  Jesus'  utterance.  It  is  enough. 
This   does  not  mean   that   the   two   swords   were 


St.  Luke  xxii.  39-46  343 

sufficient  for  the  purpose  of  resistance,  but  is  a 
dismissal  of  the  whole  subject,  not  in  anger,  but  in 
sorrow,  that  His  disciples  could  not  understand 
Him  better.  He  had  no  intention  to  refuse  to 
drink  the  cup  His  Father's  will  might  appoint. 


Luke  xxii.  39-46  (  =  Mark  xiv.  26,  32-42= Matt.  xxvi. 
30,  36-46). 

THE  AGONY  IN  THE  GARDEN. 

39  And  he  came  out,  and  went,  as  he  was  wont,  to  the  mount 

40  of  Olives  ;  and  his  disciples  also  followed  him.     And  when 
he  was  at  the  place,  he  said  unto  them,  Pray  that  ye  enter 

41  not  into  temptation.     And  he  was  withdrawn  from  them 
about   a    stone's    cast,    and    kneeled   down,    and   prayed, 

42  saying.  Father,  if  thou  be  willing,  remove  this  cup  from 

43  me  :  nevertheless  not  my  will,  but  thine,  be  done.     And 
there  appeared  an  angel  unto  him  from  heaven,  strengthen- 

44  ing  him.     And  being  in  an  agony  he  prayed  more  earnestly  : 
and  his  sweat  was  as  it  were  great  drops  of  blood  falling 

45  down  to  the  ground.     And  when  he  rose  up  from  prayer, 
and  was  come  to  his  disciples,  he  found  them  sleeping  for 

46  sorrow,  and  said  unto  them,  Why  sleep  ye?  rise  and  pray, 
lest  ye  enter  into  temptation. 

Luke  from  this  point  onwards  in  the  story  of  the 
Passion  follows  Mark  closely,  with  some  additions, 
which  will  be  noticed  in  their  proper  place.  In 
the  account  of  the  agony  Luke  is  shorter  than 
Mark  or  Matthew. 

39.  as  he  was  wont.  R.V.,  "as  His  custom 
was."     This  is  in  Luke  alone,  but  cf.  John  xviii.  2. 

40.  place.  Matthew  and  Mark  call  it  a  garden, 
and  give  the  name  Gethsemane  (  =  oil-press).  The 
exact  site  has  not  been  fixed,     pray.    This  is  ap- 


344   Westminster  New  Testament 

parently  addressed  to  the  Eleven,  but  Luke  does 
not  record  the  previous  withdrawal  of  Jesus  with 
the  Three. 

41.  withdrawn.  R.V.,  "parted"  (cf.  R.V., 
Acts  xxi.  1).  His  feelings  forced  Him  to  seek 
solitude,  kneeled  down.  A  proof  of  intense 
emotion,  as  standing  was  the  usual  attitude  among 
the  Jews ;  but  in  the  Apostolic  Church  kneeling 
seems  to  have  been  usual,  perhaps  following  Christ's 
practice  (Acts  vii.  60,  ix.  40,  xx.  36,  xxi.  5 ;  Eph. 
iii.  14).     prayed,    "kept  on  praying." 

42.  Matthew  mentions  three  prayers,  and  a  turn- 
ing to  the  sleeping  disciples  for  sympathy  between 
these.  Luke,  in  thus  shortening  the  agony,  leaves 
out  what  is  very  precious  to  Christian  faith,  the 
proof  that  it  was  as  He  prayed  that  Jesus  became 
certain  that  the  cup  could  not  pass,  and  gained 
strength  to  yield  His  will  to  God's,  cup.  The  lot 
of  any  man  is  commonly  expressed  in  O.T.  thus 
(Ps.  xi.  6,  xvi.  5,  xxiii.  5,  Ixxv.  8),  but  in  N.T.  the 
word  is  used  mostly  of  Christ's  Passion  (Matt.  x. 
38,  39,  xiv.  36 ;  John  xviii.  11). 

43.  44.  R.V.  marg.,  "  Many  ancient  authorities 
omit  vers.  43,  44."  Probably  they  do  not  belong  to 
the  text  of  this  Gospel,  but  they  may  embody  an 
early  tradition,  about  the  genuineness  of  which 
certainty  is  unattainable.  Against  it  is  the  un- 
necessary introduction  of  the  supernatural ;  for  it 
is  the  emphasis  on  the  human  suffering  of  Jesus. 

43.  appeared.  To  the  bodily  eye.  strengthen- 
ing" him.  In  body  as  well  as  soul,  for  both  were 
needed. 

44.  agony.  The  only  use  of  the  word  in  N.T. 
It  means  probably  foar ;  but  not  of  physical  dis- 
solution only,  but  of  the  desolation  and  darkness  of 


St.  Luke  xxii.  47-53         345 

soul  that  death  might  bring.  Jesus  anticipated 
the  forsakenness  of  the  Cross  (Mark  xv.  34).  An 
interpretation  of  deep  insight  is  given  in  Heb.  v. 
7  (R.V.  marg.j  "out  of  death/'  saved  from  death's 
greatest  curse),  more  earnestly.  "  more  persist- 
ently." drops  of  blood.  Not  a  resemblance  of 
the  sweat  to,  but  identity  with,  blood  is  clearly 
intended ;  and  the  description  is  to  be  taken 
literally,  and  not  figuratively.  Instances  of  this 
phenomenon  are  on  record.  If  the  tradition  be 
genuine,  this  might  account  for  Jesus'  great  weak- 
ness on  the  way  to  the  Cross. 

45.  for  sorrow.    Luke  tries  to  excuse,  by  thus 
explaining  the  sleep  of  the  disciples. 

46.  The    question  suggests   that   Jesus    had   no 
supernatural  knowledge  of  the  disciples'  condition. 


Luke  xxii.  47-53  (  =  Mark  xiv.  43-50  =  Matt  xxvi. 
47-56;  of.  John  xviii.  i-ii). 

THE  ARREST. 

47  And  while  he  yet  spake,  behold  a  multitude,  and  he  that 
was  called  Judas,  one  of  the  twelve,  went  before  them,  and 

48  drew  near  unto  Jesus  to  kiss  him.  But  Jesus  said  unto 
him,  Judas,  betrayest  thou  the  Son  of  man  with  a  kiss? 

49  When  they  which  were  about  him  saw  what  would  follow, 
they  said  unto  him,  Lord,  shall  we  smite  with  the  sword  ? 

50  And  one  of  them  smote  the  servant  of  the  high  priest,  and  cut 

51  off  his  right  ear.     And  Jesus  answered  and  said,  Suffer  ye 

52  thus  far.  And  he  touched  his  ear,  and  healed  him.  Then 
Jesus  said  unto  the  chief  priests,  and  captains  of  the  temple, 
and  the  elders,  which  were  come  to  him.  Be  ye  come  out, 

53  as  against  a  thief,  with  swords  and  staves  ?  When  I  was 
daily  with  you  in  the  temple,  ye  stretched  forth  no  hands 
against  me  :  but  this  is  your  hour,  and  the  power  of  darkness. 


346   Westminster  New  Testament 

In  this  narrative  Luke  alone  records  the  cure  of 
the  servant. 

47.  kiss  him.  A  prearranged  sign,  although 
Luke  does  not  mention  this. 

48.  a  kiss.  In  the  Greek  this  comes  first  for 
emphasis.  "With  a  kiss  is  it."  Son  of  man. 
The  Messiah  ;  an  appeal  to  Judas  to  realise  what  he 
is  doing. 

49.  Luke  alone  records  the  question,  but  no 
answer  is  awaited. 

50.  one.  R.V._,  "a  certain  one."  John,  writing 
at  a  much  later  date,  gives  the  disciple's  name, 
Peter,  and  also  the  servant's,  Malchus.  right  ear, 
John  as  well  as  Luke  mentions  which  ear  it  was. 

51.  Suffer  ye  thus  far.  The  meaning  is  doubt- 
ful. If  addressed  to  the  disciples,  it  is  a  remon- 
strance against  their  violence,  and  a  call  to  their 
submission ;  if  to  the  captors,  it  is  a  plea  for 
toleration  for  His  disciples  in  spite  of  the  hasty 
stroke.  Or  it  may  mean.  Do  not  arrest  Me  till  I 
have  healed  the  sufferer,  touched  his  ear. 
Restored  it  to  its  place,  and  healed  the  wound. 
The  writer  here  intends  to  record  a  very  excep- 
tional miracle. 

52.  as  against  a  thief  (R.V.,  "a  robber"). 

The  clause  also  is  first  in  Greek  for  emphasis.  As  the 
arrest  was  by  night,  not  day,  in  the  solitary  place 
and  not  the  temple,  with  violence,  and  not  reliance 
on  the  law's  authority,  it  was  proved  unlawful.  If 
they  had  had  a  good  case,  Jesus  had  given  them 
ample  opportunity  for  a  proper  legal  arrest. 

53.  but.  God  allowed  them,  and  the  evil  power 
with  which  they  were  in  alliance,  this  opportunity 
(cf.  John  viii.  44).  the  power  of  darkness  (cf. 
Col.  1.   13).  Satan.     The  flight  of  all  the  disciples. 


St.  Luke  xxii.  54-62  347 

recorded  at  this  point  by  Matthew  and  Mark^  is 
not  mentioned  by  Luke. 

Luke  xxii.  54-62  (  =  Mark  xiv.  53,  54,  66-72  = 
Matt.  xxvi.  57,  58,  69-75;  cf.  John  xviii.  15-18, 
25-27). 

PETER'S  DENIAL. 

54  Then  took  they  him,  and  led  him,  and  brought  him  into 
the   high   priest's   house.     And   Peter  followed    afar  off. 

55  And  when  they  had  kindled  a  fire  in  the  midst  of  the  hall, 
and  were  set  down  together,  Peter  sat  down  among  them. 

56  But  a  certain  maid  beheld  him  as  he  sat  by  the  fire,  and 
earnestly  looked  upon  him,  and  said,  This  man  was  also 

57  with  him.     And  he  denied  him,  saying.  Woman,  I  know 

58  him  not.  And  after  a  little  while  another  saw  him,  and 
said,  Thou  art  also  of  them.     And  Peter  said,  Man,  I  am 

59  not.  And  about  the  space  of  one  hour  after  another 
confidently  affirmed,  saying,  Of  a  truth  this  fellow  also  was 

60  with  him  :  for  he  is  a  Galilsean.  And  Peter  said,  Man,  I 
know  not  what  thou  sayest.     And  immediately,  while  he 

61  yet  spake,  the  cock  crew.  And  the  Lord  turned,  and 
looked  upon  Peter.  And  Peter  remembered  the  word  of 
the  Lord,  how  he  had  said  unto  him.  Before  the  cock  crow, 

62  thou  shalt  deny  me  thrice.  And  Peter  went  out,  and  wept 
bitterly. 

While  all  the  Evangelists  record  three  denials, 
there  is  agreement  in  detail  only  regarding  the 
first,  the  occasion  of  which  was  the  maid's  calling 
attention  to  Peter  as  a  disciple.  This  probably 
led  not  one  only  of  the  bystanders,  but  several  to 
taunt  him  as  a  disciple,  the  occasion  of  a  second 
denial.  After  an  interval,  during  which  either  the 
attention  of  the  crowd  was  diverted  elsewhere,  or 
Peter   in   some   way  kept   himself  out   of  public 


348   Westminster  New  Testament 

notice,  the  attack  on  him  was  renewed  by  more 
than  one  person ;  and  this  was  met  by  a  third 
denial.  Thus  the  varying  accounts  might  be  ex- 
plained. Would  even  Peter  himself  have  so  vivid 
a  remembrance  as  to  give  always  an  account  exactly 
the  same  in  its  details  ? 

54.  high  priest's  house.  John  reports  a 
previous  examination  in  the  house  of  Annas,  and 
Matthew  and  Mark  another  in  the  house  of 
Caiaphas,  but  all  Synoptists  agree  in  regard  to  the 
public  trial  held  in  the  morning.  It  is  this  that 
Luke  mentions  in  ver.  66  without  any  reference  to 
either  of  these  previous  inquiries,  which,  as  held 
during  the  night,  were  illegal.  John  places  Peter's 
denials  in  connection  with  the  first  examination. 

55.  kindled.  The  nights  in  Jerusalem,  owing 
to  its  high  position,  are  often  cold,  even  in  April. 

56.  maid.  The  doorkeeper,  according  to  John. 
also.  The  reference  may  be  to  John,  who  was 
known  to  the  high  priest  and  his  household,  and 
had  got  Peter  into  the  house  (John  xviii.  15,  16). 

58.  a  little  while.  Luke  alone  mentions  the 
shortness  of  the  interval,  not  allowing  Peter  time 
to  recover  himself. 

59.  another.  John  tells  that  it  was  a  kinsman 
of  Malchus,  who  had  seen  Peter  in  the  garden  with 
Jesus ;  and  Matthew  states  that  Peter's  speech 
betrayed  him  as  a  Galilaean. 

60.  Again  Luke  spares  Peter  in  not  mentioning 
the  cursing  and  swearing,  which  according  to 
Matthew  and  Mark  accompanied  this  denial,  while 
he  yet  spake.  A  clause  peculiar  to  Luke,  the 
cock.    Better,  "a  cock." 

61.  turned  .  .  .  looked.  Jesus  may  at  this 
moment    have    been   passing    from   the   house    of 


St.  Luke  xxii.  63-71  349 

Annas  to  that  of  Caiaphas,  and  so  have  been  quite 
near  to  Peter  in  the  court.  The  look  doubtless 
expressed  not  judgment  only,  but  mercy,  and  moved 
Peter  not  to  a  remorse  like  that  of  Judas,  but  to  a 
godly  penitence. 


Luke  xxii.  63-71  (cf.  Mark  xiv.  65,  xv.  i ;  Matt.  xxvi. 
67,  68,  xxvii.  1,2;  John  xviii.  19-24,  28). 

THE  MOCKING  OF  JESUS  AND  THE 
JEWISH  TRIAL. 

63  And  the  men  that  held  Jesus  mocked  him,  and  smote  him. 

64  And  when  they  had  blindfolded  him,  they  struck  him  on 
the  face,  and  asked  him,  saying,  Prophesy,  who  is  it  that 

65  smote  thee  ?    And  many  other  things  blasphemously  spake 

66  they  against  him.  And  as  soon  as  it  was  day,  the  elders 
of  the  people  and  the  chief  priests  and  the  scribes  came 

67  together,  and  led  him  into  their  council,  saying,  Art  thou 
the  Christ  ?  tell  us.     And  he  said  unto  them,  If  I  tell  you, 

68  ye  will  not  believe  :  and  if  I  also  ask  you,  ye  will  not 

69  answer  me,  nor  let   me  go.     Hereafter  shall  the  Son  of 

70  man  sit  on  the  right  hand  of  the  power  of  God.  Then  said 
they  all.  Art  thou  then  the  Son  of  God  ?    And  he  said  unto 

71  them,  Ye  say  that  I  am.  And  they  said,  What  need  we 
any  further  witness?  for  we  ourselves  have  heard  of  his 
own  mouth. 

Luke  does  not  record  the  second  examination 
before  Caiaphas  (Mark  xiv.  55-64! ;  Matt.  xxvi. 
59-66),  but  in  the  account  of  the  public  trial, 
which  Mark  xv.  1  and  Matt,  xxvii.  1,  2,  record 
with  no  details,  there  is  a  good  deal  repeated 
which  is  contained  in  the  other  records  of  the 
private  inquiry.     For  the  public  trial  was  only  a 


350   Westminster  New  Testament 

formal  repetition  for  the  sake  of  legality  of  the 
private  inquiry. 

63-64<.  It  is  probable  that  the  mockery  by  the 
temple  guards  and  servants  of  the  priests  took 
place  in  the  interval  between  the  second  examina- 
tion and  the  public  trial  (cf.  Acts  v.  22,  xxi.  32, 
xxiii.  17). 

65.  blasphemously  spake.  Better  R.V., 
"  spake  against  .   .  .  reviling." 

66.  day.  The  meetings  of  the  Sanhedrin  could 
not  be  held  before  daybreak ;  this  meeting  was 
held  as  early  as  possible.  The  Council  consisted 
of  elders,  chief  priests,  and  scribes. 

67.  R.V.  reads, ''  If  Thou  art  the  Christ,  tell  us." 
Jesus  is  invited  to  incriminate  Himself,  as  His 
claim  of  Messiahship  would  have  been  treated  as 
blasphemy.  Jesus  declines  to  answer,  because  He 
knows  His  claim  will  be  denied,  and  even  the 
discussion  of  it  will  be  refused. 

68.  nor  let  me  go.  R.V.  omits  these  words,  as 
not  authentic. 

69.  Hereafter.  Better  R.V.,  "  but  from  hence- 
forth." For  Jesus  His  exaltation  had  already 
begun  (cf.  John  xiii.  31).  There  is  a  reference 
to  Dan.  vii.  13. 

70.  Son  of  God.  Jesus  used  Son  of  Man  as 
Messianic  title.  Did  the  Sanhedrin  in  substituting 
Son  of  God  mean  this  dignity  also,  or  something 
more  .^  Ye  say  that  I  am.  R.V.  marg.,  "  Ye  say 
it,  because  I  am."  It  is  possibly  a  question,  "Say 
ye  that  I  am  ?  " 

71.  Jesus'  declaration  was  taken  as  proof  of  the 
charge  of  blasphemy. 


St.  Luke  xxiii.  i-6  351 


Luke  xxiii.  i-6  (cf.  Mark  xv.  1-5 ;  Matt,  xxvii.  i,  2, 
11-14  ;  John  xviii.  28-38). 

THE  ACCUSATION  BEFORE  PILATE. 

And  the  whole  multitude  of  them  arose,  and  led  him  unto 

2  Pilate.  And  they  began  to  accuse  him,  saying,  We  found 
this  fellow  perverting  the  nation,  and  forbidding  to  give 
tribute  to  Caesar,  saying  that  he  himself  is  Christ  a  King. 

3  And  Pilate  asked  him,  saying,  Art  thou  the  King  of  the 
.   Jews?     And  he  answered  him  and  said,  Thou  sayest  it. 

4  Then  said  Pilate  to  the  chief  priests  and  to  the  people, 

5  I  find  no  fault  in  this  man.  And  they  were  the  more  fierce, 
saying,  He  stirreth  up  the  people,  teaching  throughout  all 

6  Jewry,  beginning  from  Galilee  to  this  place.  When  Pilate 
heard  of  Galilee,  he  asked  whether  the  man  were  a 
Galilsean. 

As  the  Sanhedrin,  which  had  condemned  Jesus 
to  deaths  had  not  the  right  to  execute  the  sentence 
(John  xviii.  31)^  it  was  necessary  that  this  should 
be  confirmed  by  the  Roman  governor,  the  pro- 
curator Pilate ;  but  while  the  Jewish  court  had 
condemned  Jesus  on  a  charge  of  blasphemy,  it 
sought  the  Roman  official's  confirmation  on  the 
ground  of  treason,  a  stirring-up  of  rebellion  against 
Rome.  The  Sadducees,  the  priestly  party,  now  took 
the  lead  in  bringing  about  the  death  of  Jesus. 

1.  the  whole  multitude  (R.V.,  "company"). 
Of  the  Sanhedrin,  not  the  people. 

2.  Three  charges  are  made  :  (1)  stirring  up  dis- 
turbance ;  (2)  advising  the  refusal  of  the  Roman 
taxes  (see  on  xx.  25) ;  (3)  claiming  the  title  of  a 
King,  began.  Pilate  interrupted  the  spokesman 
of  the  Sanhedrin  to  ask  Jesus  a  direct  question. 
Christ  a  King.    The  addition  invested  the  Mes- 


352   Westminster  New  Testament 

siahship  with  a  political  meaning  to  arouse  Pilate's 
suspicions ;  the  Sanhedrin  objected  to  Jesus'  claim 
on  religious  grounds,  but  these  would  have  had  no 
weight  with  Pilate. 

4.  John  tells  us  of  the  conversation  with  Jesus 
which  led  Pilate  to  the  conclusion  that  He  was  a 
harmless  enthusiast.  the  people.  R.V.,  "the 
multitudes."  A  crowd  would  quickly  gather 
when  the  Sanhedrin  was  seen  going  to  the 
governor's  palace. 

5.  fierce.  Better  R.V.,  "urgent."  all  Jewry. 
R.V.,  "Judaea/'  the  Roman  province,  of  the 
ministry  in  which  John  alone  gives  a  record. 
place.  A  reference  either  to  the  recent  triumphal 
entry,  or  previous  visits. 

6.  This  reference  to  Galilee  introduces  an 
incident,  peculiar  to  Luke,  the  sending  of  Jesus 
to  Herod. 

Luke  xxiii.  7-12. 
JESUS  BEFORE  HEROD. 

7  And  as  soon  as  he  knew  that  he  belonged  unto  Herod's 
jurisdiction,  he  sent  him  to  Herod,  who  himself  also  was 

8  at  Jerusalem  at  that  time.  And  when  Herod  saw  Jesus, 
he  was  exceeding  glad  :  for  he  was  desirous  to  see  him  of 
a  long  season,  because  he  had  heard  many  things  of  him  ; 
and  he  hoped  to  have  seen  some   miracle  done  by  him. 

9  Then  he   questioned  with   him   in   many  words ;   but  he 

10  answered  him  nothing.     And  the  chief  priests  and  scribes 

1 1  stood  and  vehemently  accused  him.  And  Herod  with  his 
men  of  war  set  him  at  nought,  and  mocked  him,  and 
arrayed  him  in  a  gorgeous  robe,  and  sent  him  again  to 

12  Pilate.  And  the  same  day  Pilate  and  Herod  were  made 
friends  together :  for  before  they  were  at  enmity  between 
themselves. 


St.  Luke  xxiii.  13-25         353 

This  narrative  is  peculiar  to  Luke,  and  may  have 
come  from  Joanna,  wife  of  Chuza  (see  Introduction, 
p.  23). 

7.  sent  him.  Better,  "sent  him  back"  as 
belonging,  to  begin  with,  to  Herod's  authority. 
Herod.  This  was  Antipas,  a  son  of  Herod  the 
Great,  who  had  the  title  of  tetrarch,  and  had 
been  assigned  Galilee  and  Peraea.  Pilate's  motive 
probably  was  to  shift  the  burden  of  deciding  the 
difficult  case,  or  of  getting  evidence  of  the  charges 
about  disturbances  in  Galilee.  Herod,  professing 
to  be  a  pious  Jew,  had  come  up  to  keep  the  feast. 

8.  Cf.  ix.  9.    miracle.  Gr.  "sign"  (cf  xi.  29). 

9.  Jesus  was  silent,  because  Herod  was  unfit  to 
receive  the  truth. 

10.  vehemently,  "at  full  stretch"  (cf  Acts 
xviii.  28). 

11.  A  mean  revenge  for  the  apparent  insult  of 
Jesus'  silence,  men  of  war.  R.V.,  "soldiers," 
probably  his  body-guard.  a  gorgeous  robe. 
R.V.,  "gorgeous  apparel,"  mocking  his  claim  to 
Kingship,  sent  him  again.  R.V.,  "back." 
Herod  too  shirks  responsibility. 

12.  This  acknowledgment  of  Herod's  jurisdiction 
would  probably  compensate  in  his  mind  for  some 
previous  disregard  of  his  authority,  perhaps  the 
slaughter  of  the  Galilaeans,  referred  to  in  xiii.  1,  2. 


Luke  xxiii.  13-25  (cf.  Mark  xv.  6-15  =  Matt,  xxvii. 
15-26  ;  cf.  John  xviii.  39,  40). 

THE  SENTENCE  BY  PILATE. 

[3  And  Pilate,  when  he  had  called  together  the  chief  priests 
[4  and  the  rulers  and  the  people,  said  unto  them,  Ye  have 

23 


354   Westminster  New  Testament 

brought  this  man  unto  me,  as  one  that  perverteth  the 
people  :  and,  behold,  I,  having  examined  him  before  you, 
have   found   no  fault  in  this  man  touching  those  things 

1 5  whereof  ye  accuse  him  :  no,  nor  yet  Herod  :  for  I  sent  you 
to  him  ;  and,  lo,  nothing  worthy  of  death  is  done  unto  him. 

i6  I  will  therefore  chastise  him,  and  release  him.     (For  of 

17  necessity   he   must  release  one  unto  them  at  the  feast.) 

18  And  they  cried  out  all  at  once,  saying,  Away  with  this 

19  man,  and  release  unto  us  Barabbas :  (who  for  a  certain 
sedition  made  in  the  city,  and  for  murder,  was  cast  into 

20  prison.)     Pilate  therefore,  willing  to  release  Jesus,  spake 

21  again  to  them.     But  they  cried,  saying,  Crucify  him,  crucify 

22  him.  And  he  said  unto  them  the  third  time,  Why,  what 
evil  hath  he  done  ?   I  have  found  no  cause  of  death  in  him  : 

23  I  will  therefore  chastise  him,  and  let  him  go.  And  they 
were  instant  with  loud  voices,  requiring  that  he  might  be 
crucified.     And  the  voices  of  them  and  of  the  chief  priests 

24  prevailed.     And  Pilate  gave  sentence  that  it  should  be  as 

25  they  required.  And  he  released  unto  them  him  that  for 
sedition  and  murder  was  cast  into  prison,  whom  they  had 
desired  ;  but  he  delivered  Jesus  to  their  will. 

Luke  in  this  narrative  does  not  verbally,  but 
substantially  does,  agree  with  Mark  and  Matthew. 
Pilate  had  tried  to  get  rid  of  the  case  by  telling 
the  Jews  to  decide  it  themselves,  and  by  sending 
Jesus  to  Herod.  Now  he  tries  to  release  Jesus 
in  honour  of  the  feast,  and  then  proposes  after 
scourging  to  discharge  Him.  His  wife's  dream 
and  Jesus'  own  bearing  seem  to  have  awakened 
superstitious  fears,  which  moved  him  rather  than 
any  sense  of  justice. 

13.  people.  Pilate  hoped  to  play  off  the  people, 
whom  he  expected  to  find  less  hostile  to  Jesus, 
against  the  persistent  enmity  of  the  Sanhedrin. 

14.  perverteth   the   people,   "seduceth  the 


St.  Luke  xxiii.  13-25 


055 


people  from  their  allegiance."  He  states  the 
three  accusations  as  one.  examined.  By  judicial 
inquiry. 

15.  for  I  sent  you  to  him.  The  R.V.  has  the 
better  reading,  "  he  sent  Him  back  unto  us."  is 
done  unto  him.  Better  R.V.,  "  hath  been  done 
by  Him." 

16.  chastise.  Pilate  uses  a  mild  word  to 
express  the  terrible  reality  of  a  Roman  scourging 
to  hide  from  himself  and  others  the  injustice  of 
inflicting  such  a  torment  on  an  innocent  person. 

17.  This  verse  ijs  left  out  by  many  ancient 
authorities,  and  inserted  by  others  after  ver.  I9. 
Probably  it  is  a  gloss  based  on  Mark  xv.  6 ;  Matt, 
xxvii.  15. 

18.  Away.  John  xix.  15  ;  Acts  xxi.  SQ,  xxii.  22  ; 
cf.  Deut.  xvii.  1,  xix.  I9.  release.  No  evidence 
of  this  custom  exists  outside  the  Gospels.  Bar- 
abbas.  "Son  of  Aba"  (father).  In  Matt,  xxvii. 
16,  17  there  is  found  the  remarkable  reading 
"  Jesus  Barabbas." 

19-  sedition.  R.V.,  "insurrection,"  possibly  not 
a  popular  rising  of  any  extent,  but  only  a  plunder- 
ing raid.  Plummer  (p.  525)  suggests  that  he  may 
have  had  something  to  do  with  the  two  thieves 
who  were  crucified  with  Jesus;  for  John  calls 
him  "a  robber."  murder.  The  order  of  words 
suggests  that  the  murder  was  outside  the  city. 

20.  willing.  R.V.  better,  "desiring";  he  was 
anxious  thus  to  get  rid  of  a  difficult  case. 

21.  cried,   "kept  shouting  at  him." 

22.  cause  of  death.  First  he  found  no  fault 
at  all  (ver.  14),  now  no  fault  so  great  as  to  deserve 
such  a  punishment ;  he  shows  that  he  is  giving 
way. 


356   Westminster  New  Testament 

24.  John  places  the  scourgmg  and  mockery  of 
Jesus  by  the  soldiers  before  the  final  sentence ; 
Matthew  and  Mark  place  the  scourging  and 
mockery  after.  Matthew  inserts  Pilate's  hand- 
washing to  rid  himself  of  the  guilt  of  the  sentence 
he  was  going  to  pronounce. 


Luke  xxiii.  26-32  (  =  Mark  xv.  21  =  Matt,  xxvii.  32-38). 
THE  SORROWFUL  WAY. 

26  And  as  they  led  him  away,  they  laid  hold  upon  one  Simon, 
a  Cyrenian,  coming  out  of  the  country,  and  on  him  they 

27  laid  the  cross,  that  he  might  bear  it  after  Jesus.  And 
there   followed  him  a  great  company   of  people,   and  of 

28  women,  which  also  bewailed  and  lamented  him.  But 
Jesus  turning  unto  them  said,  Daughters  of  Jerusalem, 
weep  not  for  me,  but  weep   for  yourselves,  and  for  your 

29  children.  For,  behold,  the  days  are  coming,  in  the  which 
they  shall  say,  Blessed  are  the  barren,  and  the  wombs 
that  never  bare,    and   the  paps  which   never   gave  suck. 

30  Then  shall  they  begin  to  say  to  the  mountains,  Fall  on  us  ; 

31  and  to  the  hills.  Cover  us.     For  if  they  do  these  things  in 

32  a  green  tree,  what  shall  be  done  in  the  dry  ?  And  there 
were  also  tv/o  other,  malefactors,  led  with  him  to  be  put 
to  death. 

With  the  exception  of  the  first  and  the  last 
verse  this  passage  is  peculiar  to  Luke,  and  illus- 
trates his  interest  in  womanhood. 

26.  Simon,  a  Cyrenian.  R.V.,  "Simon  of 
Cyrene."  Simon  was  so  common  a  name,  that  we 
have  no  good  reason  for  identifying  this  man  with 
Simon  Niger,  the  companion  of  Lucius  of  Cyrene 
(Acts  xiii.  1).  Mark  xv.  21  describes  this  Simon  as 
"the  father  of  Alexander  and  Rufus,"  and  in  Rom. 


St  Luke  xxiii.  26-32         357 

xvi.  13  Paul  salutes  a  Rufus  and  his  mother,  but 
whether  this  is  the  same  Rufus  we  cannot  tell. 
Cyrene  was  the  chief  town  of  the  country  now 
known  as  Tripoli.  Josephus  tells  us  of  the  found- 
ing of  a  Jewish  colony  there,  and  there  was  in 
Jerusalem  a  synagogue  for  Jews  from  Cyrene 
(Acts  vi.  9)}  to  which  Simon  may  have  belonged. 
cross.  Jesus  began,  as  was  the  custom,  to  caiTy 
His  cross,  the  two  pieces  of  which  were  not  yet 
fastened  together ;  but  He  was  too  weak  to  go  on 
with  the  burden.  Then  either  the  whole  weight 
was  laid  on  Simon,  or  he  carried  the  lower,  while 
Jesus  still  bore  the  upper  end  ;  but  the  first  is  the 
more  probable  course.  Some  heretics  taught  that 
Simon  was  crucified  instead  of  Christ. 

27.  women.  Always  represented  as  friendly 
to  Jesus. 

28.  turning.  Jesus  could  not  have  done  this, 
had  He  been  still  carrying  His  cross.  Daughters, 
"inhabitants"  (cf.  Isa.  xxxvii.  22;  Jer.  xlvi.  19; 
Ezek.  xvi.  4-6  ;  Zeph.  iii.  14).  weep.  Jesus  does  not 
reject  their  sympathy,  but  warns  them  that  they 
have  more  reason  to  lament  the  coming  doom  of 
the  city  than  His  sufferings  now.  Surely  a  great 
part  of  the  sorrow  of  Jesus  Himself  was  His  feeling 
for  the  judgment  that  His  death  must  bring  on  the 
people  guilty  of  it. 

29.  they.  The  world  generally,  barren.  What 
is  usually  regarded  as  a  curse  (cf.  i.  25,  36)  in  that 
dreadful  time  will  be  regarded  as  a  blessing. 

30.  Cf.  Isa.  ii.  19  ;  Hos.  x.  8 ;  Rev.  vi.  l6. 
Even  so  painful  a  death  is  desired  rather  than  life 
to  witness  the  horrors  of  the  judgment. 

31.  Cf.  Prov.  xi.  31  ;  1  Pet.  iv.  17,  18.  Such 
a  proverb  may  be  variously  interpreted.     If  Jesus 


358   Westminster  New  Testament 

the  innocent  was  so  treated,  how  much  worse  a 
fate  must  the  guilty  expect  ?  If  such  was  the 
beginning  of  the  nation's  doom,  what  would  the 
end  be  ? 

32.  two  other,  malefactors.  The  A.V.  origin- 
ally read  "  two  other  malefactors "  ;  either  a 
careless  construction,  or  a  suggestion  that  Jesus 
too  was  counted  an  evil-doer  (cf  Isa.  liii.  12). 
There  may  have  been  the  intention  to  humiliate 
Jesus  by  the  two  companions  appointed  to  Him  in 
His  death,  but  this  token  of  man's  malice  became 
the  occasion  of  a  last  display  of  His  grace. 


Luke  xxiii.  33-38  (cf.  Mark  xv.  22-32  =  Matt,  xxvii. 
33-44  and  John  xix.  17-27). 

THE  CRUCIFIXION. 

33  And  when  they  were  come  to  the  place,  which  is  called 
Calvary,   there    they  crucified   him,    and  the   malefactors, 

34  one  on  the  right  hand,  and  the  other  on  the  left.  Then 
said  Jesus,  Father,  forgive  them  ;  for  they  know  not  what 
they   do.     And  they   parted  his  raiment,   and  cast  lots. 

35  And  the  people  stood  beholding.  And  the  rulers  also 
with  them  derided  him,  saying,  He  saved  others ;  let  him 

36  save  himself,  if  he  be  Christ,  the  chosen  of  God.  And 
the  soldiers  also  mocked  him,  coming  to  him,  and  offering 

37  him  vinegar.     And  saying.    If  thou  be   the  king  of  the 

38  Jews,  save  thyself.  And  a  superscription  also  was  written 
over  him  in  letters  of  Greek,  and  Latin,  and  Hebrew, 
THIS  IS  THE  KING  OF  THE  JEWS. 

Luke  in  this  passage  follows  Mark  more  closely, 
but  not  entirely. 

33.  place.  The  spot  has  not  been  yet  fixed, 
but  it  was  outside  the  walls  of  the  city  (cf.  Heb. 


St.  Luke  xxiii.  33-38         359 

xiii.  12).  Calvary.  R.V.,  "  the  skull."  The  R.V. 
marg.  has  the  note,  "  According  to  the  Latin, 
Calvanj,  which  has  the  same  meaning."  The 
other  Evangelists  mention  the  Hebrew  name  Gol- 
gotha, which  Luke,  writing  for  Gentiles,  omits. 
The  name  was  given  not  because  skulls  lay  there 
unburied,  but  because  of  the  shape  of  the  ground. 
crucified.  It  is  uncertain  whether  the  feet  were 
nailed  to  the  cross  as  well  as  the  hands.  The 
death  on  the  Cross  was  not  only  shameful,  because 
inflicted  on  provincials  only  and  slaves,  but  also 
cruel,  because  life  might  be  prolonged  in  awful 
suffering. 

34.  R.V.  note,  "  Some  ancient  authorities  omit 
And  Jesus  said,  Father,  forgive  them;  for  they 
know  not  what  they  do."  But  the  prayer  is  surely 
much  more  likely  to  be  genuine  than  a  later  in- 
vention, them.  Not  the  soldiers,  who  were  but 
doing  their  duty ;  not  even  so  much  Pilate,  whose 
hands  had  been  relentlessly  forced ;  but  the  Jewish 
rulers,  and  the  people  in  so  far  as  they  had 
assented  to  the  death  of  Jesus.  Jesus,  conscious 
of  what  He  was,  and  what  He  had  offered  to 
the  Jewish  people,  recognised  that  neither  rulers 
nor  people  had  realised  the  crime  which  they 
were  committing  in  crucifying  their  Messiah  (cf. 
Acts  iii.  17).  Ignorance  lessens  guilt  (cf  xii.  48). 
And  they,  etc.  R.V.,  "  And  parting  His  garments 
among  them,  they  cast  lots  "  (cf  Ps.  xxii.  18,  quoted 
in  John  xix.  24).  The  clothing  of  the  crucified  fell 
to  his  executioners,  and  it  was  decided  by  lot 
which  garment  each  should  take.  The  Fourth 
Gospel  makes  the  parallelism  of  fulfilment  and 
prediction  closer  by  representing  the  other 
clothing   as  parted  among  the   four  soldiers,  and 


36o   Westminster  New  Testament 

only  the  tunic,  '^  without  seam,  woven  from  the 
top  throughout/'  as  assigned  to  one  of  them  by 
lot.  While  this  is  possible,  one  cannot  avoid  the 
conclusion  that  this  later  tradition  was  shaped  by 
the  prediction. 

35,  Luke  mentions  four  (or  five)  kinds  of 
mockery  against  Jesus.  The  people  stood  looking 
in  idle,  if  not  heartless,  wonder.  The  priests 
taunted  the  Saviour  who  was  helpless  to  save 
Himself.  The  soldiers  offered  Him  some  of  their 
sour  wine,  not  in  pity,  but  in  scorn.  The  inscrip- 
tion seems  to  be  regarded  by  Luke  as  a  taunt 
directed  against  Jesus,  although  it  may  rather 
have  been  Pilate's  petty  revenge  on  the  Jewish 
rulers.  One  of  the  robbers  railed  on  Him.  There 
is  scarcely  a  climax  here,  as  Plummer  suggests 
(p.  532).  stood  beholding  .  .  .  derided  (cf.  Ps. 
xxii.  7).  Christ,  the  chosen  of  God.  R.  V.,  "  the 
Christ  of  God,  His  chosen "  (Gr.  "  elect "  ;  Luke 
alone  gives  this  word,  cf.  ix.  35). 

36»  mocked.  By  use  of  a  different  tense  here 
than  in  derided  (R.V.,  "  scoffed ")  the  Evangelist 
suggests  that  the  soldiers  were  less  persistent 
than  the  priests  in  their  mockery.  vinegar. 
According  to  John  (xix.  29)  a  sponge,  filled  with 
the  sour  wine,  was  held  up  on  a  stalk  of  hyssop,  as 
the  body  was  probably  lifted  upon  the  cross  some 
distance  from  the  ground. 

38.  The  words,  "in  letters  of  Greek,  and  Latin, 
and  Hebrew,"  left  out  in  R.V.,  are  probably  a  gloss 
from  John  xix.  20.  superscription.  The  name 
and  crime  of  the  executed,  which  hung  round  His 
neck  on  His  way  to  the  Cross,  was  placed  above 
it. 


St.  Luke  xxiii.  39-43         361 


Luke  xxiii.  39-43. 

THE  IMPENITENT  AND  THE  PENITENT 
THIEF. 

39  And  one  of  the  malefactors  which  were  hanged  railed  on 

40  him,  saying,  If  thou  be  Christ,  save  thyself  and  us.     But 
the  other  answering  rebuked  him,  sapng.  Dost  not  thou 

41  fear  God,  seeing  thou  art  in  the  same  condemnation  ?  and 
we  indeed  justly  ;  for  we  receive  the   due  reward  of  our 

42  deeds :  but  this  man  hath   done  nothing  amiss.     And  he 
said  unto  Jesus,   Lord,  remember  nie  when  thou  comest 

43  into  thy  kingdom.     And   Jesus   said   unto  him,  Verily  I 
say  unto  thee,  To  day  shalt  thou  be  with  me  in  paradise. 

This  incident  is  recorded  by  Luke  alone ; 
Matthew  and  Mark  simply  state  that  Jesus'  com- 
panions in  death  reproached  Him.  Because  it  is 
characteristic  of  Luke's  standpoint^  it  need  not  on 
that  account  be  suspected  as  unhistorical. 

39.  one.  Matthew  and  Mark  say  both  reproached 
Jesus.  Some  try  to  harmonise  the  statements  by 
representing  the  penitent  thief  as  first  hostile  to 
Jesus,  and  only  moved  to  penitence  by  the  silence 
and  patience  of  the  Sufferer.  But  it  is  more 
probable  that  only  Luke's  informant,  whoever 
he  or  she  was,  was  close  enough  to  hear  the 
penitent's  prayer;  while  to  those  at  a  greater  dis- 
tance the  loud  railings  of  the  one  thief  might  seem 
to  come  from  both.  If  thou  be.  A  better  read- 
ing is  R.V.,  "Art  not  Thou."  The  question  ex- 
presses more  bitter  scorn. 

40.  fear.  R.V.,  "even  fear,"  if  nothing  else. 
The  anticipation  of  God's  approaching  judgment 
should  have  inspired  at  least  awe. 


362   Westminster  New  Testament 

41.  nothing  amiss,  "nothing  unbecoming/' 
far  less  any  crime  such  as  the  mocker  had  been 
guilty  of. 

42.  And  he  said  unto  Jesus,  Lord.  Better 

reading  in  li.V.,  "  And  he  said^  Jesus/'  omitting 
Lord,  into  thy  kingdom.  R.V.,  "  in  Thy  king- 
dom." The  first  would  mean  Christ's  return  to 
His  Father  at  death  ;  the  second,  His  return  to 
earth  in  power  and  glory.  The  second  seems 
more  probable.  What  the  thief  desires  is  a  share 
in  the  Messianic  Kingdom,  whenever  it  may  come. 
The  prayer  implies  the  confession  of  Jesus' 
Messiahship. 

43.  Verily.  This  introduces  something  im- 
portant, or  even  unexpected.  tO-day.  An  immedi- 
ate, and  not  a  distant  blessing  is  assured,  with  me. 
Companionship  through  death  into  life  beyond  is 
promised,  paradise.  A  Persian  word  meaning 
(1)  a  park  ;  (2)  the  garden  of  Eden  ;  (3)  Abraham's 
bosom,  where  the  just  rest  till  the  Resurrection; 
(4)  "a  region  in  heaven,"  to  which  Paul  may  refer 
as  "  the  third  heaven  "  (2  Cor.  xii.  4).  The  paradise 
of  God  (Rev.  ii.  7)  may  be  the  same  as  (3)  or  (4), 
or  some  higher  abode  of  bliss.  By  using  the  word 
Jesus  does  not  confirm  the  Jewish  eschatology ;  in 
familiar  language  He  assures  the  penitent  of 
blessing  at  once  after  death. 


Luke  xxiii.  44-49  (of.  Mark  xv.  33-41  =  Matt,  xxvii.  45, 
46 ;  cf.  John  xix.  28-30). 

44  And  it  was  about  the  sixth  hour,  and  there  was  a  darkness 

45  over  all  the  earth  until  the  ninth  hour.     And  the  sun  was 
darkened,  and  the  veil  of  the  temple  was  rent  in  the  midst. 

46  And  when  Jesus  had   cried  with  a  loud  voice,  he  said, 


St.  Luke  xxiii.  44-49         363 

Father,  into  thy  hands  I  commend  my  spirit :  and  having 

47  said  thus,  he  gave  up  the  ghost.  Now  when  the  centurion 
saw  what  was  done,  he  glorified  God,  saying,  Certainly  this 

48  was  a  righteous  man.  And  all  the  people  that  came  to- 
gether to  that  sight,  beholding  the  things  which  were  done, 

49  smote  their  breasts,  and  returned.  And  all  his  acquaint- 
ance, and  the  women  that  followed  him  from  Galilee,  stood 
afar  off,  beholding  these  things. 

The  saying  of  Jesus  in  ver.  46  is  reiDorted  by 
Luke  alone,  but  he  omits  the  cry  of  desolation 
given  by  Matthew  and  Mark.  This  is  an  instance 
of  his  idealisation ;  he  will  not  record  what  his 
Gentile  readers  might  have  misunderstood. 

44.  about.  Luke  suggests  that  there  was  un- 
certainty about  the  time.  sixth  hour.  This 
would,  according  to  the  Jewish  reckoning,  be  noon. 
As  Mark  (xv.  25)  gives  the  third  hour  as  the  time 
of  the  Crucifixion,  Jesus  had  been  three  hours  and 
lingered  three  more  on  the  Cross  before  death 
relieved  His  agony.  John  (xix.  14)  gives  the  sixth 
hour  as  the  time  when  Pilate  delivered  Jesus  to  be 
crucified.  If  he  reckoned  the  day  from  midnight, 
this  may  have  been  six  in  the  morning.  But  this 
is  too  complicated  a  problem  to  discuss  here, 
earth.  R. v.,  "land"  (cf;  iv.  25,  xxi.  23);  a  local 
rather  than  a  universal  obscuration  of  the  sun  is 
probable.  This  darkness  may  have  been  miracu- 
lously produced,  or  more  likely  an  exceptional 
natural  phenomenon  providentially  coincided  with 
the  death  of  Jesus,  ninth  hour.  Three  in  the 
afternoon. 

45.  And  the  sun  was  darkened.   R.V.  has 

another   reading,   "the  sun's    light   failing"   (Gr. 
"the  sun  failing").     As  the  R.V.  reading  might 


364   Westminster  New  Testament 

suggest  an  eclipse  of  the  sun,  and  that  was  known 
to  be  impossible  at  that  season,  probably  the  A.V. 
reading  as  less  open  to  objection  was  substituted 
by  a  copyist.  veil.  The  curtain  between  the 
Holy  Place  and  the  Holy  of  Holies  (Ex.  xxvi.  31 ; 
Lev.  xxi.  23,  xxiv.  3  ;  cf.  Heb.  vi.  19^  ix.  3)  is 
meant,  and  not  that  between  the  outer  court  and 
the  Holy  Place.  Jewish  tradition  mentions  two 
curtains  a  cubit  apart.  How  the  curtain  was  rent 
is  not  stated,  and  we  need  not  conjecture. 

46.  a  loud  voice.  This  is  a  proof  that  Jesus 
did  not  die  of  exhaustion  (cf.  Acts  vii.  60). 
From  the  "  blood  and  water "  which  flowed  from 
the  pierced  side,  according  to  John  (xix.  34),  it  has 
been  inferred  that  Jesus  died  literally  of  a  broken 
heart.  Luke  does  not  give  the  words  uttered  in 
a  loud  voice,  as  the  prayer  to  God  would  more 
probably  be  spoken  in  lower  tones.  Father,  etc. 
This  self-committal  is  a  quotation  from  Ps.  xxxi.  5, 
and  is  so  appropriate  as  the  expression  of  Jesus' 
filial  faith  after  the  darkness  had  passed  over  His 
soul  that,  although  Luke  alone  records  it,  there  is 
no  good  reason  to  doubt  the  genuineness  of  the 
saying.  He  was  heard  for  His  godly  fear,  and  was 
saved  out  of  death  (Heb.  v.  7).  He  did  not  die 
with  the  sense  of  God-forsakenness  unremoved, 
but  trusting  in  the  Father,  he  gave  up.  He 
voluntarily  resigned  His  life  into  God's  hand. 

47.  centurion.  The  Roman  officer  entrusted 
with  the  execution  of  the  sentence.  Legend  has 
given  him  the  name  Longinus,  and  represented 
him  as  a  martyr,  what  was  done.  Not  Jesus' 
manner  of  dying  only,  but  all  the  accompaniments 
of  the  death  already  mentioned,  glorified.  Either 
by  the  confession  that  follows,  or  by  offering  praise 


St.  Luke  xxiii.  50-56         365 

to  God  before  the  confession,  righteous  man. 
Matthew  and  Mark  have  "  son  of  God."  If  the 
centurion  was  a  pagan,  and  not  a  proselyte,  the 
second  phrase  would  not  mean  much  on  his  lips. 
There  may  be  uncertainty  about  the  words  used  ; 
there  need  not  be  doubt  that  he  bore  witness  in 
some  way  to  the  impression  made  upon  him. 

48.  The  crowd  that  had  looked  on  with  curiosity 
only  was  also  impressed,  but,  content  with  a  con- 
ventional expression  of  their  grief,  returned  to  the 
city  to  their  business  or  pleasure. 

49.  And.  Better,  ^'^  but."  There  is  contrast  in- 
tended between  the  multitude  and  the  faithful 
few.  acquaintance.  Including  probably  the 
disciples,  women.  Matthew  and  Mark  give  the 
names  :  Mary  Magdalene,  Mary  the  mother  of  James 
and  Joses,  and  Salome,  the  mother  of  the  sons  of 
Zebedee.  beholding.  R.V.,  "  seeing  "  ;  not  in  idle 
curiosity,  but  with  heart-felt  sorrow  and  awe. 


Luke  xxiii.  50-56  ( =  Mark  xv.  42-47=  Matt,  xxvii.  57-61 ; 
cf.  John  xix.  38-42). 

THE   BURIAL. 

50  And,  behold,  there  was  a  man  named  Joseph,  a  counsellor  ; 

51  and  he  was  a  good  man,  and  a  just :  (the  same  had  not 
consented  to  the  counsel  and  deed  of  them  ;)  he  was  of 
Arimathsea,  a  city  of  the  Jews  :  who  also  himself  waited 

52  for  the  kingdom  of  God.     This  man  went  unto  Pilate,  and 

53  begged  the  body  of  Jesus.  And  he  took  it  down,  and 
wrapped  it  in  linen,   and  laid  it  in  a  sepulchre  that  was 

54  hewn  in  stone,  wherein  never  man  before  was  laid.  And 
that  day  was  the  preparation,  and  the  sabbath  drew  on. 

55  And  the  women  also,  which  came  with  him  from  Galilee, 


366   Westminster  New  Testament 

followed  after,  and  beheld  the  sepulchre,  and  how  his  body 
56  was   laid.     And  they  returned,  and   prepared  spices  and 
ointments ;  and  rested  the  sabbath  day  according  to  the 
commandment. 

While  Luke  follows  Mark  in  vers.  50-53,  peculiar 
to  him  are  vers.  54} ^56.  Luke  omits  a  fact  Mark 
mentions  :  Pilate's  surprise  at  Jesus'  speedy  death. 

50.  counsellor.  Better  R.V.,  "councillor,"  i.e. 
a  member  of  the  Sanhedrin,  Matthew  tells  us  he 
was  "rich/'  Mark  that  he  was  "of  honourable 
estate/'  and  John  that  he  was  "  a  disciple  of  Jesus, 
but  secretly  for  fear  of  the  Jews." 

51.  Either  he  had  kept  away,  or  had  not  voted, 
or  had  given  his  vote  against  the  sentence ;  but 
Mark  (xiv.  64)  states  that  they  "all  condemned 
Him."  deed.  The  word  is  used  in  a  bad  sense, 
referring  to  the  way  in  which  they  had  carried  out 
their  counsel,  of.  Rather  "from."  Arimathaea 
was  either  his  birthplace  or  former  home,  but  he 
was  now  living  in  Jerusalem.  Probably  it  is  the 
same  place  as  Ramah,  where  Samuel  was  born  and 
lived,  waited.  This  word  seems  rather  to  exclude 
the  assumption  that  he  recognised  Jesus  as  the 
Messiah  already  come  (cf.  ii.  25,  38  ;  Acts  xxiv.  15). 

53.  sepulchre.  R.V.  better,  "tomb."    never 

man,  etc.  A  token  of  honour  (see  on  xix.  30). 

54.  preparation.  Either  the  eve  of  the  Sabbath, 
or  of  the  Passover ;  in  this  case  it  would  seem  of 
both,  as  the  Sabbath  coincided  with  the  first  day 
of  the  Passover.  As  this  first  day  was  regarded  as 
a  Sabbath  (Ex.  xii.  I6  ;  Lev.  xxiii.  7)  a  double 
sanctity  would  invest  this  particular  day.  This 
statement  of  time  seems  to  support  the  view  that 
the  Last  Supper  was  held  a  day  before  the  Passover 


St.  Luke  xxiv.  367 

proper,  and  that  Jesus  died  on  the  day  when  the 
paschal  meal  was  eaten,  drew  on.  Gr.  "began 
to  dawn."  As  the  Sabbath  begins  at  sunset,  the 
word  cannot  be  used  literally,  but  in  the  secondary 
sense  of  any  beginning. 

55.  after.  That  is,  in  the  footsteps  of  Joseph 
and  his  helpers  from  the  Cross  to  the  Grave. 

56.  prepared  spices.  Mark  tells  us  that  it  was 
at  the  close  of  the  Sabbath,  that  is,  on  Saturday 
evening,  that  the  women  bought  the  spices.  We 
cannot  distinguish  the  spices  as  "sweet-smelling 
herbs"  or  as  "dry"  from  the  ointments  as  liquid, 
for  Mark  tells  us  that  the  spices  were  to  be  used 
for  anointing :  but,  on  the  other  hand,  we  must  not 
insist  on  Mark's  verbal  accuracy,  and.  A  full 
stop  should  be  placed  after  ointments,  and  a  new 
paragi'aph  be  begun  here,  as  in  R.V.,  since  the  rest- 
ing on  the  Sabbath  is  contrasted  with  the  coming 
to  the  tomb  on  "the  first  day."  rested  the 
sabbath  day.  Jesus  was  buried  before  sunset  on 
Friday,  the  women  kept  the  Sabbath  rest  till  sunset 
on  Saturday.  Then  they  made  their  preparations 
for  the  visit  to  the  tomb  early  on  Sunday  morning. 


VII.  THE  RESURRECTION  AND  ASCENSION 

(Luke  xxiv.). 

In  his  account  of  the  Resurrection  Luke  inserts 
a  great  deal  of  matter  peculiar  to  himself,  and 
shows  his  connection  with  Paul  on  the  one  hand 
and  the  Johannine  tradition  on  the  other.  We 
have  not  the  sufficient  data  to  harmonise  the 
accomits  of  Luke  and  John  on  the  one  hand  with 


368   Westminster  New  Testament 

those  of  Matthew  and  Mark  on  the  other;  but 
it  should  be  remembered :  (1)  that  the  earliest 
evidence  for  the  Resurrection  is  not  that  of  the 
Evangelists,  but  of  Paul  in  1  Cor.  xv.  1-11,  who 
claims  then  to  be  repeating  the  common  tradition 
of  the  Christian  Church ;  (2)  that  the  appearances 
came  as  a  surprise,  and  were  met  with  wonder 
and  unbelief  by  the  disciples,  and  so  the  conditions 
for  hallucinations  were  absent ;  (3)  that  the 
witnesses  include  not  only  a  few  women,  but  men 
of  very  different  temperament,  such  as  Peter, 
James,  and  Paul,  and  on  one  occasion  at  least 
a  multitude  of  "  above  five  hundred  brethren " ; 
(4)  that  the  effect  of  the  manifestations  was  so 
disturbing  that  we  cannot  expect  from  the  witnesses 
an  account  so  accurate  as  to  be  consistent  in  all  its 
details  ;  (5)  that  each  of  the  Evangelists  was  guided 
by  his  own  particular  interest  in  what  he  selected 
from  the  current  reports ;  and  (6)  that  in  addition 
to  these  appearances  the  Christian  Church  has  the 
witness  in  individual  experience  and  in  general 
history  of  the  presence,  guidance,  and  blessing  of 
the  Risen  Lord. 

Luke  xxiv.  i-i2  (cf.  Mark  xvi.  i-8  ;  Matt,  xxviii.  i-io ; 
John  XX.  i-io). 

THE  EMPTY  GRAVE. 

Now  upon  the  first  day  of  the  week,  very  early  in  the 
morning,  they  came  unto  the  sepulchre,  bringing  the  spices 
which  they  had  prepared,  and  certain  others  with  them. 

2  And  they  found  the  stone  rolled  away  from  the  sepulchre. 

3  And  they  entered  in,  and  found  not  the  body  of  the  Lord 

4  Jesus.     And  it  came  to  pass,  as  they  were  much  perplexed 
thereabout,  behold,  two   men  stood  by  them  in  shining 

5  garments  :  and  as  they  were  afraid,  and  bowed  down  their 


St.  Luke  xxiv.  1-12         369 

faces  to  the  earth,  they  said  unto  them,  Why  seek  ye  the 

6  living  among   the   dead  ?    He   is   not  here,  but  is  risen  : 
remember  how  he  spake  unto  you  when  he  was  yet  in 

7  Galilee,  saying.  The  Son  of  man  must  be  delivered  into 
the  hands  of  sinful  men,  and  be  crucified,  and  the  third 

8'  day  rise  again.     And   they  remembered   his  words,   and 
9  returned  from  the  sepulchre,  and  told  all  these  things  unto 

10  the  eleven,  and  to  all  the  rest.  It  was  Mary  Magdalene, 
and  Joanna,  and  Mary  the  mother  of  James,  and  other 
women  that  were  with  them,  which  told  these  things  unto 

11  the  apostles.     And  their  words  seemed  to  them  as  idle 

12  tales,  and  they  believed  them  not.  Then  arose  Peter,  and 
ran  unto  the  sepulchre  ;  and  stooping  down,  he  beheld  the 
linen  clothes  laid  by  themselves,  and  departed,  wondering 
in  himself  at  that  which  was  come  to  pass. 

In  this  portion  of  the  narrative  Luke  still 
adheres,  though  not  entirely,  to  the  common 
tradition. 

1.  R.V.  omits  the  words,  "and  certain  others 
with  them." 

3.  R.V.  marg.,  "Some  ancient  authorities  omit 
of  the  Lord  Jesus."  This  combination  is  nowhere 
found  in  the  Gospels,  but  often  in  the  Acts  and 
the  Epistles. 

4.  two  men.  Angels  in  human  form  (cf  Acts 
i.  10,  X.  30).  While  John  also  mentions  two 
angels,  Matthew  and  Mark  mention  only  one. 
stood.    Cf    ii.    9.     shining   garments.    R.V., 

"dazzling  apparel"  (cf.  xvii.  24,  xxiii.  11). 

5.  bowed  down  their  faces  to  the  earth. 
This  detail  is  in  Luke  alone.  Why,  etc.  A 
rebuke,  as  the  disciples  should  have  remembered 
Jesus'  promises  (cf  Isa.  viii.  19).  living.  Gr. 
"him  that  liveth." 

6.  He  is  not  here,  but  is  risen.  R.V.  marg., 

24 


370   Westminster  New  Testament 

"Some  ancient  authorities  omit."  It  is  probabl}^ 
an  insertion  from  Mark  xvi.  6  =  Matt,  xxviii.  6. 
remember.  (Cf.  ix.  22,  xviii.  32,  23).  In  eacli 
prediction  of  the  Passion  the  rising  again  on  the 
third  day  was  mentioned.  From  this  point  to 
ver.  8,  the  statement  is  in  Luke  only.  Luke 
omits  the  intimation,  "He  goeth  before  you  into 
Galilee  "  (Mark  xvi.  7  =  Matt,  xxviii.  7),  as  he  does 
not  record  any  appearances  in  Galilee. 

9.  told.  So  Matthew,  but  Mark  (xvi.  8)  states 
that  fear  kept  them  silent ;  but  as  Mark's  narrative 
breaks  off  abruptly  at  this  point,  it  may  be  that 
when  they  did  recover  from  their  fear,  they  began 
to  speak. 

10.  John  mentions  Mary  Magdalene  \  the  three 
Synoptists  the  other  Mary,  the  mother  of 
James.  Luke  alone  mentions  Joanna,  in  whom 
he  had  a  special  interest  (see  viii.  3,  and  Intro- 
duction, p.  23).  Salome  is  included  by  Mark  only. 
The  R.V.  version  gives  the  sense  of  this  verse 
better  in  putting  a  colon  instead  of  a  comma 
after  James.  The  women  named  had  visited  the 
tomb,  the  other  women  told  these  things  to  the 
apostles. 

'11.  to  them.  R.V.,  "in  their  sight."  idle 
tales.  R.V.,  "idle  talk."  Hobart,  quoted  by 
Plummer  (p.  550),  states  the  word  "is  applied 
in  medical  language  to  the  wild  talk  of  the  sick  in 
delirium,"  The  incredulity  was  general,  so  com- 
pletely had  Jesus'  prediction  been  either  forgotten 
or  misunderstood. 

12.  R.V.  marg.,  "Some  ancient  authorities 
omit  ver.  12).  Plummer  regards  it  as  "of  un- 
known and  doubtful  authority,"  and  as  probably 
"an  imperfect  account  of  the  visit  of  Peter  and 


St.  Luke  xxiv.  13-35        371 

John,"  which  may  have  been  "an  insertion  made 
in  a  second  edition "  of  the  Gospel.  linen 
clothes.  Without  the  body  they  had  contained, 
departed,  wondering  in  himself.  R.V.,  "de- 
parted to  his  home,  wondering."  Either  construc- 
tion is  possible,  as  the  Greek  is  ambiguous. 


Luke  xxiv.  13-35. 
THE  JOURNEY  TO  EMMAUS. 

13  And,  behold,  two  of  them  went  that  same  day  to  a  village 
called  Emmaus,  which  was  from  Jerusalem  about  threescore 

14  furlongs.     And  they  talked   together  of  all  these  things 

15  which  had  happened.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that,  while 
they  communed  together  and  reasoned,  Jesus  himself  drew 

16  near,  and  went  with  them.     But   their  eyes  were  holden 

17  that  they  should  not  know  him.  And  he  said  unto  them. 
What  manner  of  communications  are  these  that  ye  have  one 

18  to  another,  as  ye  walk,  and  are  sad  ?  And  the  one  of  them, 
whose  name  was  Cleopas,  answering  said  unto  him.  Art 
thou  only  a  stranger  in  Jerusalem,  and  hast  not  known  the 

19  things  which  are  come  to  pass  there  in  these  days?  And 
he  said  unto  them,  What  things  ?  And  they  said  unto  him. 
Concerning  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  which  was  a  prophet  mighty 

20  in  deed  and  word  before  God  and  all  the  people  :  and  how 
the  chief  priests  and  our  rulers  delivered  him  to  be  con- 

21  demned  to  death,  and  have  crucified  him.  But  we  trusted 
that  it  had  been  he  which  should  have  redeemed  Israel  : 
and  beside  all  this,  to   day  is  the  third  day  since  these 

22  things  were  done.  Yea,  and  certain  women  also  of  our 
company  made  us  astonished,    which  were   early  at   the 

23  sepulchre  ;  and  when  they  found  not  his  body,  they  came, 
saying,  that  they  had  also  seen  a  vision  of  angels,  which 

24  said  that  he  was  alive.  And  certain  of  them  which  were 
with  us  went  to  the  sepulchre,  and  found  it  even  so  as  the 


372   Westminster  New  Testament 

25  women  had  said  :  but  him  they  saw  not.  Then  he  said 
unto  them,  O  fools,  and  slow  of  heart  to  believe  all  that 

26  the  prophets  have    spoken  !    ought   not   Christ  to  have 

27  suffered  these  things,  and  to  enter  into  his  glory  ?  And 
beginning  at  Moses  and  all  the  prophets,  he  expounded 
unto  them  in  all  the  scriptures  the  things  concerning  him- 

28  self.  And  they  drew  nigh  unto  the  village,  whither  they 
went :  and  he  made  as  though  he  would  have  gone  further. 

29  But  they  constrained  him,  saying.  Abide  with  us  ;  for  it  is 
toward  evening,  and  the  day  is  far  spent.     And  he  went 

30  in  to  tarry  with  them.  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  he  sat  at 
meat  with  them,  he  took  bread,  and  blessed  it,  and  brake, 

31  and  gave  to  them.     And  their  eyes  were  opened,  and  they 

32  knew  him  ;  and  he  vanished  out  of  their  sight.  And  they 
said  one  to  another.  Did  not  our  heart  burn  within  us, 
while  he  talked  with  us  by  the  way,  and  while  he  opened 

33  to  us  the  scriptures?  And  they  rose  up  the  same  hour, 
and  returned  to  Jerusalem,  and  found  the  eleven  gathered 

34  together,  and  them  that  were  with  them,  saying,  The  Lord 

35  is  risen  indeed,  and  hath  appeared  to  Simon.  And  they 
told  what  things  were  done  in  the  way,  and  how  he  was 
known  of  them  in  breaking  of  bread. 

The  story  is  found  in  Luke  alone,  though  alluded 
to  in  Mark  xvi.  12,  13,  and  bears  the  marks  of  the 
eye-witness,  probably  Cleopas,  from  whom  Luke 
got  it  either  in  writing  or  speech.  It  is  not  at 
all  probable  that  Luke  himself  was  Cleopas'  un- 
named companion:  (1)  because  he  would  have 
used  "  we/'  in  accordance  with  his  custom  in  Acts, 
and  (2)  because  he  did  not  claim  to  be  one  of  the 
early  disciples. 

13.  them.  Not  apostles,  but  disciples,  the 
wider  company  of  Jesus'  adherents.  Emmaus. 
Nicopolis,  which  is  still  held  to  be  the  place  here 
so  named,  is  twenty  miles  from  Jerusalem,  and  thus 


St.  Luke  xxiv.  13-35        373 

too  fai*  away.  A  place  now  called  El  Kubeibeh, 
seven  miles  distant,  is  more  likely  to  be  the 
spot,  but  other  identifications  are  maintained  by 
scholars. 

14.  talked  together.  R.V.,  ^'communed  with 
each  other."  Communion  was  the  characteristic 
of  the  Christian  society. 

15.  drew  near.  That  is,  "overtook  them,"  as 
they  took  for  granted  that  He  had  come  from 
Jerusalem  as  they  had. 

16.  their  eyes  were  holden.  No  supernatural 
Divine  act  need  be  assumed  ;  because  (l)  they  were 
not  expecting  to  see  Jesus,  and  were  too  absorbed 
in  their  grief ;  (2)  because  all  the  records  suggest 
that  there  was  a  change  in  Jesus'  outward  appear- 
ance (cf.  ver.  37  ;  Mark  xvi.  12;  John  xx.  14,  15, 
xxi.  4).  But  the  Evangelist  himself  may  have  sup- 
posed a  miracle.  A.V.  and  R.V.  assume  a  miracle 
with  a  purpose  ;  but  the  Greek  may  be  also  rendered 
"  so  that  they  did  not  know  Him,"  a  simple  result. 

17.  R.V.  marg.,  "Gr.  What  words  are  these  that 
ye  exchange  one  with  another."  and  are  sad. 
R.V.,  "And  they  stood  still,  looking  sad,"  is  the 
better  reading. 

18.  Cleopas  (  =  Cleopatros).  A  Greek  name,  not  to 
be  identified  with  the  Aramaic  Clopas  (John  xix.  25). 
only  a  stranger.  Better  R.V.,  "alone  sojourn," 
as  the  only  person  in  Jerusalem,  or  "sojourn  alone  " 
with  no  companion  to  talk  to.  The  intention  is  to 
express  extreme  incredulity  that  the  stranger  could 
have  remained  so  ignorant  of  what  was  the 
common  talk. 

19.  was.  Proved  or  showed  Himself  to  be  by 
word  and  deed,  a  prophet.  Gr.  a  man,  a  prophet. 
Either  "man"  is  a  title  of  honour  (as  Acts  i.   I6, 


374    Westminster  New  Testament 

ii.  29,  37,  etc.),  or  "prophet"  is  used  adjectivally, 
mighty.    Cf.  Acts  vii.  24,  xviii.  24. 

20.  For  brevity  Pilate's  part  is  not  mentioned  in 
the  tragedy. 

21.  trusted.  R.V.,  "hoped/'  till  His  death 
blighted  our  hopes,  had  been.  R.V.,  "was." 
should  have.  R.V., "  should."  redeem.  Ransom 
as  a  slave  (Tit.  ii.  14  ;  Deut.  xiii.  5  ;  2  Sam.  vii.  23  ; 
Hos.  xiii.  14).  third  day.  Does  this  shov^^  a 
remembrance  of  Jesus'  mention  of  the  third  day  ? 
We  cannot  be  sure. 

22.  Yea,  and.  R.V.,  "moreover."  Having 
stated  all  that  was  against  their  hope,  they  now 
turn  to  what  gives  it  some  support,  of  OUr  com- 
pany. And  therefore  to  be  trusted,  astonished. 
It  was  not  the  early  visit  of  the  women,  but  the 
tidings  they  brought  that  awakened  wonder.  The 
women  reported  what  the  angels  had  intimated. 
The  news  was  surprising,  and  yet  hard  to  believe. 

24.  This  seems  to  refer  to  the  visit  of  Peter 
and  John,  and  so  supports  the  conclusion  that 
ver.  12,  which  mentions  Peter  only,  is  not  authentic, 
they  saw  not.  If  these  disciples  had  heard  from 
Mary  Magdalene  that  she  had  seen  the  Lord,  they 
disbelieved  her. 

25.  fools.  R.V,,  "foolish  men,  senseless  and 
without  understanding  "  (cf.  Gal.  iii.  1,  3 ;  1  Tim. 
vi.  9  ;  Tit.  iii.  3)  ;  it  is  not  the  same  word  as  is  used 
in  Matt.  v.  22,  and  does  not  express  the  same 
contempt,  all.  The  disciples  had  thought  only 
of  the  prediction  of  the  glory,  and  not  also  of  the 
suffering  of  the  Messiah. 

26.  ought  not.  R.V.,  "behoved  it  not." 
Christ.  R.V.,  "the  Christ"  (Messiah,  a  title,  not 
a    proper  name   yet),     to    have   suffered.    R:V., 


St.  Luke  xxiv.  13-35         375 

"  to  suffer."  The  suffering,  which  had  disappointed 
the  disciples'  hopes,  was  the  condition  by  Divine 
decree,  as  revealed  in  prophetic  prediction,  of  the 
glory  of  the  Messiah  for  which  they  hoped. 

27.  at.  R.V.,  "from."  Moses.  The  Law 
contained  what  were  regarded  as  Messianic  pre- 
dictions, such  as  Gen.  iii.  15,  xxii.  18  ;  Num. 
xxiv.  17;  Deut:  xviii.  15;  and  types,  the  scape- 
goat, the  manna,  the  brazen  serpent,  the  sacrifices 
generally,  and  all  the  prophets.  The  Greek 
construction  is  lax.  The  writer  does  not  mean 
that  Jesus  began  from  Moses  and  the  prophets,  and 
then  went  on  to  other  writings  such  as  the  Psalms, 
but  that,  beginning  from  Moses,  he  quoted  from 
all  the  prophets.  all.  This  favourite  word  of 
Luke's  need  not  mean  that  Jesus  actually  found  a 
prediction  in  each  prophetic  writing,  expounded. 
R.V.,  "interpreted"  (cf.  1  Cor.  xii;  30,  xiv.  5,  13  ; 
Acts  ix.  36). 

28.  made  as  though.  The  English  suggests 
a  pretence ;  but  not  so  the  Greek.  Jesus  would 
have  left  them,  had  they  not  desired  His 
presence. 

29.  constrained.  Moral  persuasion  by  prayer 
is  here  meant  (cf.  Acts  xvi.  1 5 ;  Gen.  xix.  9  ; 
1  Sam.  xxviii.  23;  2  Kings  ii.  17,  v.  I6).  Abide. 
This  was  an  invitation  to  remain  with  them  in  the 
house  which  was  the  goal  of  their  journey,  but  it 
need  not  have  been  the  actual  home  of  either  of 
them,  nor  yet  is  there  any  reason  for  supposing  it 
an  inn. 

30.  as  he  sat.  Better  R. v.,  "  when  He  had  sat 
down."  took  bread  (R.V.,  "the  bread"  ;  marg.', 
"loaf").  They  gave  Him  the  honour  of  presiding 
at  the  meal,     blessed  it.  The  usual  grace  before 


376   Westminster  New  Testament 

food.     There  is  no  reason  to  regard  this  as  making 
the  meal  the  memorial  feast. 

31.  their  eyes  were  opened.  Probably  Luke 
thinks  of  a  miracle ;  but  it  may  have  been  the 
familiar  gesture  of  Jesus  in  the  breaking  of  the 
bread  that  at  once  secured  His  being  recognised. 
he  vanished  out  of  their  sight.  Marg.,  "ceased 
to  bp  seen  of  them."  Evidently  Christ's  raised 
body  was  not  subject  to  ordinary  material  conditions, 
and  could  pass  from  visibility  to  invisibility  at  will. 
It  is  no  sudden,  swift,  bodily  withdrawal  that  is 
here  meant. 

32.  Did  .  .  .  burn.  Better  R.V.,  "was  .  .  . 
burning,"  a  continued  emotion,  opened.  The 
same  word  for  eyes  and  scriptures. 

33.  the  same  hour.  R.V.,  "that  very  hour," 
late  as  it  was  (cf.  ver.  29).  Their  desire  to  share 
their  joy  with  others  could  brook  no  delay. 

34.  The  two  companions  were  met  by  the  an- 
nouncement of  an  appearance  of  Jesus  to  Simon. 
Although  this  is  not  elsewhere  mentioned  in  the 
Gospels,  Paul  refers  to  it  (1  Cor.  xv.  5).  Peter, 
the  denier,  was  the  first  to  have  his  deep  penitence 
accepted  and  his  returning  loyalty  confirmed. 

35.  told.  Better  R.V.,  "rehearsed"  (cf.  Acts  x. 
8,  XV.  12,  14,  xxi.  19).  the  breaking  of  bread. 
The  movement  brought  recognition. 


Luke  xxiv.  36-49  (cf.  John  xx.  19-23). 
JESUS'  APPEARANCE  AND  COMMISSION. 

36  And  as  they  thus  spake,  Jesus  himself  stood  in  the  midst 
of    them,    and   saith    unto    them,    Peace    be    unto    you. 

37  But  they  were  terrified  and  affrighted,  and  supposed  that 
2^  they  had   seen  a  spirit      And  he   said   unto  them,  Why 


St.  Luke  xxiv.  36-49         377 

are  ye   troubled  ?    and  why  do    thoughts  arise  in  your 

39  hearts  ?  Behold  my  hands  and  my  feet,  that  it  is  I  myself: 
handle  me,  and  see  ;  for  a  spirit  hath  not  flesh  and  bones, 

40  as  ye  see  me  have.     And  when  he  had  thus  spoken,  he 

41  shewed  them  his  hands  and  his  feet.  And  while  they  yet 
believed  not  for  joy,  and  wondered,  he  said  unto  them, 

42  Have  ye  here  any  meat  ?     And  they  gave  him  a  piece  of  a 

43  broiled  fish,  and  of  an  honeycomb.     And  he  took  it,  and 

44  did  eat  before  them.  And  he  said  unto  them,  These  are 
the  words  which  I  spake  unto  you,  while  I  was  yet  with 
you,  that  all  things  must  be  fulfilled,  which  were  written 
in    the   law   of  Moses,  and   in   the  prophets,    and  in  the 

45  psalms,    concerning   me.     Then   opened   he   their  under- 

46  standing,  that  they  might  understand  the  scriptures,  and 
said  unto  them,  Thus  it  is  written,  and  thus  it  behoved 
Christ  to  suffer,  and  to  rise  from  the  dead  the  third  day  : 

47  and  that  repentance  and  remission  of  sins  should  be 
preached  in  his   name   among   all   nations,  beginning   at 

48  49  Jerusalem.    And  ye  are  witnesses  of  these  things.    And, 

behold,  I  send  the  promise  of  my  Father  upon  you :  but 
tarry  ye  in  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  until  ye  be  endued  with 
power  from  on  high. 

This  narrative  is  also  peculiar  to  Luke^  but  has 
many  points  of  contact  with  the  account  in  John 
XX.  19-23. 

36.  stood.  An  appearance  as  sudden  as  the 
disappearance  (ver.  31).  and  saith  untO  them, 
Peace  be  unto  you.  These  words  are  omitted 
by  some  ancient  authorities,  and  are  probably  an 
insertion  from  John  xx.  19.  It  is  not  unlikely  that 
Jesus  did  so  greet  His  disciples ;  only  Luke  did 
not  here  write  these  words. 

37.  spirit.    A  ghost  (cf.  1  Pet.  iii.  19). 

38.  For  the  second  why,  the  R.V.  has  "where- 
fore," reproducing  a  difference  in  the  original  Greek 


378   Westminster  New  Testament 

thoughts.  R.V.  better,  "reasonings/'  an  inward 
debate.  hearts.  In  Biblical  usage  not  the  seat 
of  emotion  only,  but  reason  and  conscience  also. 

39.  The  wound -prints  in  hands  and  feet 
(through  which  it  seems,  therefore,  nails  had  been 
driven,  see  on  xxiii.  33)  would  prove  His  identity, 
the  handling  the  reality  of  His  body,  handle 
(cf.  1  John  i.  1).  The  resurrection  body  could 
evidently  offer  resistance  to  touch ;  but  its  nature 
escapes  our  conception. 

40.  This  verse  is  omitted  by  some  ancient 
authorities,  and  it  may  be  regarded  as  an  adapta- 
tion of  John  XX.  20. 

41.  believed  not  for  joy.  This  is  a  curious, 
yet  real  state  of  mind,  any  meat.  Better  R.V., 
"  anything  to  eat."  While  the  resurrection  body 
probably  did  not  need  such  food,  it  was  capable  of 
receiving  it  in  order  to  convey  to  the  disciples  the 
certainty  that  Christ  Himself  had  risen. 

42.  and  of  an  honeycomb.  Omitted  in  R.V. 
as  not  sufficiently  attested. 

43.  Cf.  Acts  X.  41. 

44-49.  These  farewell  commands  were  probably 
not  all  given  on  this  occasion,  or  even  on  any 
one  occasion,  but  at  different  times  between  the 
Resurrection  and  the  Ascension ;  but  it  would  be 
quite  impossible  to  assign  each  saying  to  its  proper 
occasion.  Luke  in  his  Gospel  gives  no  indication 
that  he  knew  how  long  was  the  interval  between 
these  events,  as  he  claimed  to  do,  when  he  wrote 
Acts  (i.  3). 

44.  spake.  Formerly,  and  now  repeat,  yet 
with  you.  In  constant  daily  intercourse,  not  as 
now  in  occasional  appearances.  Another  kind  of 
communion  was  to  replace  the  former  intercourse. 


St.   Luke  xxiv.  36-49         379 

Moses.  The  Pentateuch.  prophets.  The 
Earlier  Prophets  (the  historical  books)  and  the 
Later  (the  prophetic  writings  proper).  the 
psalms.  Not  meant  exclusively,  but  as  the  most 
important  part  of  the  Writings,  the  third  division 
of  the  Jewish  canon,  used  here  for  these  writings 
generally  (cf.  Prologue  to  Ecclesiasticus). 

45.  opened.  Cf.  vers.  31,  32  (also  Acts  xvi. 
14,  xxvi.  18).  How  much  this  enlightening  was 
needed  appears  in  xviii.  34.  Godet  holds  this  to 
be  the  equivalent  to  John  xx.  22.  The  R.V.  has 
a  semicolon,  and  not  a  comma  only  at  the  end  of 
this  verse.  It  is  not  improbable  that  one  conver- 
sation here  ended. 

46.  and  said.  R.V.,  "And  He  said."  This 
would  mark  the  beginning  of  another  conversa- 
tion. 

47.  and  (remission).  R.V.  margin,  "Some 
ancient  authorities  read  unto  "  (cf.  iii.  3  ;  Mark  i.  4  ; 
Matt.  xxvi.  28).  in  his  name.  His  revelation 
and  redemption  is  the  solid  foundation  of  the  new 

order,    beginning  at  Jerusalem.  This  clause 

may  go,  as  in  A.V.  and  R.V.,  with  what  precedes, 
or  as  in  R.V.  margin  with  what  follows.  The  prior 
claim  of  the  Jewish  nation  is  recognised  which- 
ever construction  we  adopt. 

48.  witnesses.  Witness  was  the  main  work  of 
an  apostle  (cf.  Acts  i.  8,  22,  ii.  32,  iii.  15,  v.  32,  x. 
39,  41,  etc.). 

49.  send.  Cf.  John  XV.  26,  xvi.  7,  and  xiv.  I6. 
promise  (Rom.  i.  2).  What  is  promised  is  the 
Spirit  (Isa.  xUv.  3  ;  Ezek.  xxxvi.  27  ;  Joel  ii.  28  ; 
Zech.  xii.  10 ;  John  xv.  26)  ;  and  the  promise  is 
here  used  for  the  gift  promised,  tarry  ye.  Cf. 
Acts  i.  4.    endued  with  power.  R.V.,  "  clothed 


38o   Westminster  New  Testament 

with    power"    (cf.  Rom.  xiii.   14;    1    Cor.  xv.  53; 
Gal.  iii.  27 ;  Eph.  iv.  24;  Col.  iii.  10). 


Luke  xxiv.  50-53  (cf.  Acts  i.  6-12). 
THE  ASCENSION. 

50  And  he  led  them  out  as  far  as  to  Bethany,  and  he  lifted  up 

51  his  hands,  and  blessed  them.     And  it  came  to  pass,  while 
he  blessed  them,  he  was  parted  from  them,  and  carried  up 

52  into  heaven.     And  they  worshipped  him,  and  returned  to 

53  Jerusalem  with   great  joy :   and  were  continually  in   the 
temple,  praising  and  blessing  God.     Amen. 

While  Luke  does  not  mention  any  interval  of 
time,  and  probably  when  he  wrote  his  Gospel  did 
not  know  what  time  did  elapse,  his  narrative  here 
does  not  require  us  to  suppose  that  he  placed  the 
Ascension  on  the  same  day  as  the  Resurrection. 
Had  this  been  his  intention,  he  would  probably 
have  had  some  such  phrase  as  ^^that  same  day" 
(ver.  13). 

50.  as  far  as  to.  R.V.,  '^  until  tkei/  were  over 
against  Bethany,"  but  it  is  doubtful  whether  the 
two  Greek  prepositions  can  mean  all  this. 

51.  was  parted.  Better  R.V.,  "parted."  It 
was  His  own  act,  as  on  previous  occasions.  There 
seems  no  doubt,  whatever,  that  Luke  means  here 
to  describe  thejinal  parting,  the  Ascension,  of  which 
he  gives  a  fuller  account  in  Acts  i.  6-12,  and  not 
some  parting  previous  to  it.  As  in  Acts  (i.  2)  he 
describes  his  Gospel  as  dealing  with  the  life  of 
Jesus  "  until  the  day  in  which  He  was  taken  up," 
he  claims  to  have  already  recorded  the  Ascension, 
and  carried  up  into  heaven.  These  words  are 
omitted  by  some  ancient  authorities,  and  do  appear 


St.  Luke  xxiv.  50-53         381 

an  attempt  to  explain  how  on  this  occasion  He  was 
parted.  The  disappearance  heavenward  was  ac- 
commodated to  the  view  of  the  apostles  regarding 
the  position  of  the  abode  of  bliss.  Our  modern 
astronomy  does  not,  and  cannot,  disprove  that  the 
withdrawal  of  His  bodily  presence  prepared  for  a 
closer  spiritual  presence.  The  truth  taught  is 
unaffected  by  the  location  of  heaven. 

52.  worshipped  him,  and.  These  words  also 
are  omitted  in  some  MSS.  with  great  joy.  Not 
sad  at  losing  their  Master's  bodily  presence,  because 
sure  of  something  even  better.  R.V.  omits  prais- 
ing and  ;  also  Amen,  a  liturgical  addition. 

The  Gospel  began  with  the  solitary  priest  in  the 
temple,  and  the  promise  given  to  him ;  it  ends 
with  the  multitude  of  disciples,  constant  in  their 
attendance  in  the  temple,  and  abounding  in  their 
praise  to  God,  because  the  promise  had  been 
fulfilled,  and  they  w^aited  the  fulfilment  of  still 
another  promise.  It  is  a  Gospel  of  God's  grace 
and  man's  joy  which  Luke  has  written  ;  and  as  we 
read  his  pages  the  grace  becomes  more  manifest 
to  us,  and  the  joy  more  abundant  in  us. 


INDEX 


Acts,  2. 

Agony,  344. 

Antony,  40. 

Apostle,  129. 

Apostolic  Cojtstihitions,  8. 

Archelaus,  303. 

Aretas,  85. 

Augustus,  79. 

Barnabas,  5. 

Baur,  8. 

Beatitudes,  133. 

Benedicitis,  57. 

Blass,  8. 

Bruce,  33,  84,  189,  302. 

Burkitt,  19. 

Canon  (Jewish),  379. 
Capernaum,  105. 
Childhood,  290. 
Clement  of  Rome,  5,  6. 
,,         „  Alexandria,  6,  9. 

Davidic  descent,  321. 
Demoniac,  105,  161. 
Devil,  94. 
Dioscorides,  29. 
Divorce,  270. 
"  Doublets,"  13,  31. 

Ebionitism,  25,  133,  272. 
Edersheim,  66,  193,  214. 


Epiphanius,  7. 
Eschatology,  326. 
Eusebius,  8. 

Gabriel,  43. 
Galilee,  46. 
Genealogy,  88. 
Gentiles,  31. 
Godet,  10,  191,  379- 

Harnack,  4,  7,  lO,  16,  19,  21  > 
26,  29,  32,  38,  52,  58,  60, 

Hawkins,  9,  13. 
Hebraism,  22,  30,  63. 
Herod,  23,  40,  79,  353. 
Historian,  30. 
Hobart,  28,  1 8 1,  370. 
Holtzmann,  10, 
Hymns,  37. 

Ignatius,  6. 
Infancy,  37. 

Jerome,  7,  10. 
Jerusalem  (Fall  of),  9. 
Joanna,  23,  353,  370. 
John  the  Baptist,  42,  145. 
John  the  Evangelist,  23,  97. 
Josephus,  9,  84,  357. 
Judaea,  40. 
383 


384 


Index 


Julicher,  25. 
Justin  Martyr,  6. 

Keim,  10. 

Logiay  18. 
Longinus,  364, 

Machasrus,  84. 
Magnificat^  52. 
Marcion,  6,  8. 
Mark,  14. 
Matthew,  17. 
Medical  language,  28. 
Miracles,  160. 
Muratorian  Fragment,  6. 

Nazareth,  46. 
Nicopolis,  372. 
Nunc  Dimittis,  70. 

Omissions,  31. 

Parables,  123,  155. 

Paradise,  362. 

Passover,  332,  366. 

Paul,  I,  27. 

Peter,  16. 

Pharisees,  117,  249. 

Philip,  26. 

Photius,  5. 

Plummer,  2,  6,  35,  46,  52,  58, 
60,  74,  84,  94,  114,  159, 
201,  214,  235,  285,  287, 
297,  302,  370. 

Polycarp,  6. 


Poverty,.  25. 
Publicans,  83. 

Quirinius,  64. 

Ramsay,  8,  9,  21,  32,  64. 

Renan,  i. 

Resurrection,  252,  319,  367. 

Sabbath,  127. 
Samaria,  26. 
Sanday,  i,  9,  215. 
Scribes,  117. 
Son  of  Man,  119. 
Sources,  10. 
Synoptic,  10. 

Talmud,  44. 
Temptation,  92. 
Tertullian,  6. 
Theodore,  7. 
Theophilus,  2,  36. 
Theophylact,  7. 
Tiberius,  9,  79. 
Transfiguration,  177. 
"Travel  document,"  23,  186. 

Universalism,  26,  27. 

Virgin  Birth,  46. 

"  We"  passages,  3. 
Women,  26. 
Wordsworth,  7. 

Zeller,  8. 


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